Suspend Sunil Paraskar till inquiry is over: Women's panel to Rakesh Maria

Taking a serious view of the alleged rape case registered against the deputy inspector general (DIG) Sunil Paraskar, the Maharashtra State Women's Commission sent a letter to Mumbai Police commissioner urging him to suspend the tainted officer till the inquiry against him is over. The letter also urges the commissioner to ensure that a free and fair probe is conducted.

In the letter, chairperson of the commission Sushiben Shah requested CP Rakesh Maria to suspend Paraskar, if he does not step down from his post, till crime branch concludes the investigation against him. "We feel that to ensure (a) free and fair investigation, either Mr Paraskar should step aside voluntarily, while the investigation is ongoing, and, if not, he should be suspended pending completion of the investigation," wrote Shah in her letter.

She also said that she had read in news reports that Paraskar's lawyer has said Paraskar cannot take a lie detector test as he has undergone a bypass surgery. However, she stressed in her letter, leading city cardiologists opined that Paraskar faces no health hazard in taking the lie detector test.

Shah has requested Maria to take opinion from a leading cardiologist from a government hospital to ascertain the authenticity of the claim made by Paraskar's lawyer.

On July 23, Mumbai-based Gladrags model had lodged a complaint against Paraskar accusing him of sexual assault and rape between November 2013 and March 2014, when he was posted as additional commissioner of police (North Region) with the Mumbai Police. On the basis of the complaint, a case was registered at Malwani police station and, later, it was handed over to the Mumbai crime branch for further investigation.