CID probe against former special public prosecutor to go to CBI

Chavan is the lawyer whose purported video recording had been presented by then Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis before the Deputy Speaker during the Assembly session in March when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was in power in Maharashtra. Fadnavis had alleged that Chavan was talking about “framing BJP leaders” in the state. At that point, then home minister Dilip Walse-Patil had announced that a CID probe would be conducted following the allegations made by Fadnavis.

Chavan had also voluntarily resigned as the special public prosecutor in a case in which BJP leader Girish Mahajan and 28 others were booked for extortion and criminal conspiracy by the Jalgaon police. The case was transferred to the Pune Police last year.

Recently, Chavan was also removed as a special public prosecutor in a graft case against former MLA Ramesh Kadam.

A government official told The Indian Express, “A decision has been taken to transfer the CID probe against Chavan to the CBI so that there are no allegations of bias. This inquiry will be clubbed with the FIR against Girish Mahajan that has already been transferred to the CBI.”

The official added that the process to transfer the inquiry has been initiated and an order to that effect will be released soon. The official said that depending upon the revelations made in the video footage and the evidence that the agency could gather, they would decide upon who can be charged in the case.