Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis sends Aurangabad’s Commissioner on leave, orders probe

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday sent the Aurangabad Commissioner of Police, Yashasvi Yadav, on compulsory leave and has ordered an inquiry against him following the allegations made by all party legislators in the assembly.

The enquiry will be conducted by a committee headed by the additional chief secretary (Home) and the report will be submitted in a month, Fadnavis announced. The issue was raised by the opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil in the lower house, which was seconded by all party members including ruling BJP and Shiv Sena members. Patil alleged the Aurangabad police had beaten up locals after a protest against dumping garbage in the area, didn’t even spare women and children.

Opposition leaders demanded Yadav should be held responsible and that the state government should suspend him with immediate effect and initiate an inquiry against him by retired judge. NCP leader Ajit Pawar seconded the demand and said the CP and municipal commissioner of Auragabad should also be suspended. Local legislator Atul Save also supported the opposition party members.

The issue was raised by the opposition parties which was supported by ruling Bhratiya Janta Party (BJP) – Shiv Sena, whose members too gathered into the well and shouted slogans against the Aurangabad CP. The House had to be adjourned twice for ten minutes. After the House resumed following a 15-minute break, the slogan-shouting continued. The House was again adjourned three times more — twice for 15 minutes and once for ten minutes.

Following demand of all party members, CM sent CP on compulsory leave and has ordered an inquiry. He also announced that IG Aurangabad would hold the additional charge as the city’s police commissioner till then.

The track record of Yashasvi Yadav has been controversial. He was posted in UP at the time Akhilesh Yadav was CM. Akhilesh had appointed Yadav, originally from Maharashtra cadre in Lukcknow, where he ordered lathicharge on doctors who were agitating for their demands in 2016. He was sent back to Maharashtra and was appointed as Aurangabad CP.’’

THE incident & THE CONTROVERSIAL COP

Eight police personnel were injured in stone-pelting as locals opposed dumping of garbage at Padegaon-Mitmita village on the outskirts of Aurangabad on March 7. The mob set on fire two garbage trucks of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) apart from damaging two police vehicles, police had said.

On the same day, local MLA Imitiaz Jaleel of AIMIM had alleged in the Assembly that police had lathi-charged the protesters. He also alleged that he fired in the air to disperse the mob during the protest at Mitmita village.

The opposition has claimed that the Aurangabad police had beaten up locals during a protest and hadn’t even spared women and children.

However, Aurangabad Police Commissioner Yashaswi Yadav had denied the allegations. He had said that only teargas was used to disperse the protesting crowd.

The track record of Yashasvi Yadav has been controversial. He was posted in UP at the time Akhilesh Yadav was CM. Akhilesh had appointed Yadav, originally from Maharashtra cadre in Lukcknow, where he ordered lathicharge on doctors who were agitating for their demands in 2016. He was sent back to Maharashtra and was appointed as Aurangabad CP.

He was again in trouble for allegedly rewarding 5 cops Rs 15,000 for helping him with VIP darshan at Shirdi temple.