Mumbai, Oct 28 (IANS): In a major embarrassment, Thane Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against controversial IPS officer, Param Bir Singh, in an extortion complaint.

The CJM R.J. Tambe ordered the Senior Police Inspector of Thanenagar Police Station to arrest the accused (Singh) and produce him before the court.

Simultaneously, the Mumbai Police have filed an application in the Mumbai Sessions Court seeking a non-bailable arrest warrant against Singh, and the court will hear the matter on Friday.

There is speculation in some circles that Singh -- absent from his duty as the Commandant-General of Maharashtra Home Guards since May -- may have fled the country.

The former high-profile Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, Singh stoked a massive political row when he dropped a letter bomb hurling corruption charges against the then home minister Anil Deshmukh, after he was transferred from his post.

Since then, he faces several cases of corruption, extortion, misuse of office in Mumbai and Thane -- both cities where he served as CoP.

In the past few months Singh repeatedly failed to appear before the Maharashtra Government's Justice (retired) K.U. Chandiwal Commission of enquiry set up to probe the charges against him.