The Bombay High Court on Monday (5 April) directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary probe into allegations of corruption levelled by former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, leading to his resignation from the cabinet.
All hell had broken loose when former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had earlier alleged that Deshmukh had asked arrested cop Sachin Waze to extort money from restaurants and bars in Mumbai. Singh said that Deshmukh had given Waze a target of ₹100 crore a month.
Deshmukh was Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar’s direct pick to be Home Minister and was considered as one of Pawar’s key lieutenants. Deshmukh offered his resignation letter to Pawar, who then gave his consent.
— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) April 5, 2021
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “After the Bombay High Court ordered CBI probe on the letter of former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, Deshmukh expressed desire to step down.”
It is an open secret that without the consent of Pawar, not even Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has the power to sack anyone. The event signals a further deterioration in the relationship between the Shiv Sena and the NCP.
In his resignation letter, Anil Deshmukh says that he doesn’t find it morally correct to continue as the Home Minister after the Bombay High Court’s order initiating a CBI probe against him. The CBI probe spells further trouble for the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.