CBI books Maharashtra ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh in alleged bribery case

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 24

The CBI on Saturday registered a case against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on the alleged charges of corruption against him and launched searches at his home in Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra.

Sources in the CBI said that following the registration of the FIR, the agency officials have raided premises linked to Deshmukh in Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra. “Searches continue and details will emerge as the day progresses,” said a source.

In Mumbai, teams of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) searched at two properties linked to Deshmukh.

Taking precautions of COVID, the teams searched Dyaneshwari bungalow in south Mumbai’s Malabar Hill, which was allotted to Deshmukh, when he was a minister and his flat in Sukhada Apartment on Sir Pochkhanwala Road in Worli.

The CBI teams wearing PPE kits and masks arrived early morning and made spot panchnama of recoveries.

A similar action unfolded at Deshmukh’s hometown Nagpur where the CBI team, which had arrived Friday night, searched his residence at GPO Square in Civil Lines area in the early morning. The team left around 6.30 pm.

“I cooperated with the CBI team which came for searches at my house,” Deshmukh told reporters.

He had resigned as a minister after the high court asked the CBI to probe the allegations.

Reacting to the CBI action against its leader Deshmukh, the NCP said nobody was above the law, but added that the truth behind the “political conspiracy” against him.

Talking to reporters, NCP spokesperson and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik said, “Nobody is above the law. Anil Deshmukh is cooperating with the agencies.”

He said he was not aware if any FIR has been registered against Deshmukh.

“What was the role of former Mumbai police commissioner (Param Bir Singh) in the case? All these actions are taking place based on the ex-commissioner’s letter,” he alleged.

“This is nothing but misuse of power to malign the state government and Anil Deshmukh. We have full faith in the judiciary and know that the truth behind the political conspiracy will be exposed through the probe,” he said.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut also said that nobody was above the law.

“It is not correct to comment on CBI’s action. Anil Deshmukh had already given his statement in the case. CBI is doing its work, similarly high court and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government are doing their own work,” he said.

“If there is a political agenda in the case against Anil Deshmukh, then the MVA government will take a stand. Hope the action against Deshmukh is restricted to directives of the high court,” he said.

On March 25, Singh had filed the criminal public interest litigation seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh, who, he claimed, had asked police officers, including Vaze, to extort Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants.

Earlier this month, after an order by the Bombay High Court, the CBI had registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) against Deshmukh to probe the Rs 100 crore extortion allegation levelled by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

The CBI had questioned Deshmukh as part of its preliminary enquiry, which lasted for about 11 hours during which he was confronted with more than 75 posers. He was then questioned by Abhishek Dular and Kiran S, both SP-rank officers of the CBI in Mumbai.

According to officials in the CBI, the questioning largely revolved around Deshmukh’s alleged messages with ACP Sanjay Patil. Following the letter written by Singh, the CBI took over the investigation and since has questioned several persons. Deshmukh was confronted with the statements made by the others.

Deshmukh was also asked about the specific allegation made by former Mumbai Police commissioner as well as Sachin Waze, who accused him of setting a target of Rs 100 crore. He was asked if he had asked Waze to collect money through extortions from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

Following the questioning, Deshmukh had denied all the allegations and claimed that this was just an attempt to malign the state government.

 — With PTI