Suspended DIG Sunil Paraskar now faces another enquiry

Mumbai: In further trouble for suspended Maharashtra DIG Sunil Paraskar, accused of molestation and rape by a model, a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) has been launched against him to find if there were administrative lapses on his part while dealing with the victim before she filed police complaint. “The preliminary enquiry (PE) is being conducted by Joint Police Commissioner (Administration) Vivek Phansalkar,” Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria said today. [caption id=“attachment_1685389” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The PE, started recently, will find out if there were any administrative lapses by Paraskar while dealing with the model. Based on the PE report, DGP Sanjeev Dayal will decide whether a Departmental Enquiry should be initiated against the senior IPS officer, who was suspended yesterday, police said. Dayal has observed that Paraskar, who claimed to have “friendly relationship” with the 25-year-old victim, appears to have violated Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules and his behaviour amounts to belittling the image of All-India Service Officers, they said. Police recently submitted an investigation progress report to Dayal, who forwarded it to the State Government which subsequently placed him under suspension. “The PE report will have the statements of the accused, victim, witnesses and other evidences gathered by Crime Branch while carrying out investigation into the rape case,” said another officer. According to police, Paraskar travelled with the model beyond his jurisdiction (to Navi Mumbai) and took expensive gifts from her without prior permission of his seniors. There were also regular conversations between them. Meanwhile, a forensic science laboratory has fixed September 1 to conduct a voice analysis test on Paraskar. The test is part of investigations into the rape case and is separate from the PE. The model, in her complaint last month, alleged the 57-year-old officer molested and sexually assaulted her on two occasions in December 2013. According to her, she met Paraskar first in 2012 when he was Additional Commissioner of Police with regard to a case. Early this month, a city court granted pre-arrest bail to Paraskar, observing that “it appears from the behaviour of the complainant and her emails that the act must be committed with consent.” PTI