Anil Deshmukh attempted to obtain undue advantage for dishonest performance of his public duty: CBI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday registered a first information report (FIR) against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and unknown people on charges of bribery, corruption and criminal conspiracy.

“The preliminary enquiry (PE) prima facie revealed that a cognisable case is made out in the matter wherein former Maharashtra Home Minister, Anil Deshmukh and unknown others  attempted to obtain undue advantage for improper and dishonest performance of his public duty,” said the CBI FIR.

The CBI has charged Deshmukh under Section 7 of the amended Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 2018, along with Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The agency also conducted searches across several locations in Maharashtra connected to Deshmukh and a few of his associates.

The central agency initiated a probe against Deshmukh after the Bombay High Court directed it to carry out a preliminary enquiry into the allegations against the former home minister. The court asked the CBI to complete the probe within 15 days, after which it said the CBI director was at liberty to take further action.

According to the probe agency, its PE has found that Deshmukh was aware of the reinstatement of the now suspended assistant police inspector (API) Sachin Waze into the police after 15 years and sensitive and “sensational” cases being given to Waze for investigation.

Waze is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in the Ambani house bomb scare and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

The CBI also said it will probe Deshmukh’s role in exercising “undue influence” over the transfer and posting of police officials as alleged by former Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh.

On March 20, Singh in an eight-page letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleged that Deshmukh had asked Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month, including Rs 40-50 crore from 1,750 bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

Waze had earlier submitted a letter to the NIA Court supporting the allegations made by Singh against Deshmukh and also levelling charges against Transport Minister Anil Parab of the Shiv Sena.

Waze has alleged that Deshmukh had asked him to pay Rs 2 crore for his reinstatement with the Mumbai Police. The court however, has not taken the letter on record.