Anil Deshmukh resigns as Maharashtra Home Minister   

Anil Deshmukh has resigned as the Home Minister of Maharashtra. Deshmukh decided to step down in a meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule. This comes just hours after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into the allegations by former Mumbai Police Commissioner against Anil Deshmukh. Today, the court observed that a fair probe was not probable as long as Anil Deshmukh was the state Home Minister.

Earlier in the day, the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI investigation into the allegations levelled by the former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh against Anil Deshmukh. The court ordered the central investigating agency to start a preliminary inquiry within 15 days. The court order came on a petition by Dr Jaishri Patil. While hearing the plea regarding the allegations by the former Mumbai Police Commissioner, the Bombay High Court said Anil Deshmukh was the Home Minister and an impartial probe by the police, which reports to the Home minister, was improbable.

Param Bir Singh has levelled serious allegations of running an “extortion” racket by Anil Deshmukh. Just days after he was shunted out as the Mumbai Police Commissioner, Param Bir Singh wrote a sensational letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, saying Deshmukh was instructing police officers including Sachin Vaze to help him collect Rs 100 crore monthly from 1750 restaurants and bars operating in Mumbai.

In the letter, Param Bir Singh said that Deshmukh had called Sachi Vaze to his official residence Dyaneshwar several times in the last few months and repeatedly instructed to assist in collection of funds for him. “In and around mid-February and thereafter, the Hon’ble Home Minister had called Shri Vaze to his official residence. At that time, one or two staff members of the Hon’ble Home Minister including his Personal Secretary, Mr. Palande, were also present. The Hon’ble Home Minister expressed to Shri Vaze that he had a target to accumulate Rs. 100 crores a month.”

“For achieving the aforesaid target, the Hon’ble Home Minister told Shri Vaze that there are about 1,750 bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai and if a sum of Rs. 2-3 lakhs each was collected from each of them, a monthly collection of Rs. 40-50 crores was achievable. The Hon’ble Home Minister added that the rest of the collection could be made from other sources,” the former top cop had alleged in the letter.