Former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Anil Deshmukh, on Thursday, alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had pressured him into signing false affidavits against Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar, and Anil Parab, in exchange for immunity from investigation by the ED and CBI.
Deshmukh alleged that Fadnavis instructed him to draft affidavits accusing Aaditya Thackeray of a crime related to the death of Disha Salian.
"Three years ago, Devendra Fadnavis allegedly sent a man to me, requesting that I draft and sign four affidavits. I was instructed to include allegations against Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, Ajit Pawar, and Anil Parab. Fadnavis purportedly assured me that if I complied, the ED and CBI would not pursue any actions against me," Deshmukh alleged.
The former Maharashtra Home Minister alleged that he refused to comply with these demands, which led to his subsequent legal troubles with the ED and CBI.
He claimed, "I was pressured to make false allegations, but I firmly stated that I would not do so, even if it meant facing life imprisonment. My refusal to comply is why the ED and CBI pursued investigations against me. I was specifically asked to provide a false affidavit claiming that Aaditya Thackeray had raped Disha Salian and thrown her from a balcony".
Fadnavis, however, denied these allegations, calling them baseless and asserting that he possesses audiovisual evidence of Deshmukh’s statements about Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. Fadnavis has stated that if false accusations persist, he may make this evidence public.
He took to microblogging site X, claiming, "The High Court had directed the registration of an FIR against Anil Deshmukh. He should be aware that I possess multiple pieces of audiovisual evidence regarding his statements about then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. If false accusations are made against me, I will be compelled to make this evidence public".
Deshmukh had previously resigned as Home Minister in April 2021 following allegations of extortion, and was later arrested in connection with corruption and money laundering cases. He spent over a year in judicial custody before being granted bail.
In response to Fadnavis’s denial, Deshmukh has offered to reveal video recordings to substantiate his claims. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole has supported Deshmukh’s statements, criticising the use of central agencies for political purposes.
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