A magistrate court here on Wednesday allowed the Central Investigation Bureau's (CBI) petition seeking to keep in abeyance the trial in an extortion case involving former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

The extortion case was registered at Marine Drive police station in south Mumbai against Singh, his close associate and builder Sanjay Punamiya, police inspectors Nandkumar Gopale, Asha Korke and businessman Sunil Jain.

The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID). But following a Supreme Court's order, the case is now being investigated by the CBI.

Recently, the federal probe agency had approached the additional chief metropolitan magistrate court presiding over the matter to keep in abeyance the trial in the case.

On Wednesday, the court after hearing the response of police, allowed the CBI's plea.

Admittedly, the matter is handed over to the CBI for investigation as per the directions of the Supreme Court. Considering the facts and circumstance, the trial is kept in abeyance.

The magistrate then directed the CID to hand over the documents, statements and articles in their possession to the CBI.

The CID had filed its charge sheet against Gopale, Korke, Jain and Punamiya in the case. However, Singh has not been named in the charge-sheet.

Besides the Marine Drive case, the CBI has taken over investigation into four cases of alleged misconduct and corruption against the former Mumbai police commissioner.

Singh is facing multiple cases of extortion, corruption and misconduct, and was removed from the post of Mumbai police chief over his alleged mishandling of the 'Antilia' bomb scare case.