CBI registers FIR against former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh over 'fabricated' cases targeting BJP leaders

Anil Deshmukh accused Devendra Fadnavis of engaging in "dirty politics" and expressed confidence that the people of Maharashtra would see through the conspiracy ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a fresh FIR against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, accusing him of conspiring to falsely implicate BJP leaders in fabricated cases. This development follows a two-year preliminary inquiry that began after a pen drive was handed over to the then Maharashtra Assembly Speaker by Devendra Fadnavis, who was the Leader of the Opposition at the time.

The investigation, initially handled by the CID, was later transferred to the CBI. According to the FIR, the CBI’s inquiry found that Special Public Prosecutor Pravin Pandit Chavan conspired with Vijay Bhaskarrao Patil and Anil Deshmukh to file a zero FIR in December 2020 at Nimbhora Jalgaon police station. The FIR, linked to a two-year-old incident in Pune, was allegedly filed with the intent to falsely implicate BJP leaders and others in order to gain control over the Jalgaon Zilla Maratha Vidya Prasarak Sahakari Samaj Limited, an educational institution.

The zero FIR was eventually transferred to Pune, where it was registered on January 5, 2021. The CBI has also accused former DCP Poornima Gaikwad and ACP Sushma Chavan of fabricating witness statements and evidence to support the conspiracy.

Besides Deshmukh, Chavan, Patil, Gaikwad, and Sushma Chavan have been named as accused in the case. Deshmukh, however, has dismissed the allegations as baseless, accusing Devendra Fadnavis of orchestrating the conspiracy for political reasons. He took to social media platform ‘X’ to state that such efforts are a result of Fadnavis losing political ground and vowed to continue fighting against what he termed BJP's oppression. Deshmukh further accused Fadnavis of engaging in "dirty politics" and expressed confidence that the people of Maharashtra would see through the conspiracy ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

(with PTI inputs)