SIT to probe alleged conspiracy to frame Fadnavis, Shinde during MVA rule | Mumbai news
MUMBAI: In a major development, the BJP-led Mahayuti government will set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate an alleged conspiracy to frame chief minister and then opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis, and deputy chief minister and then urban development minister Eknath Shinde, during the tenure of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra. The SIT will be headed by joint commissioner of police, Satyanarayan Choudhary.
The decision could mean trouble for several senior ministers in the MVA government, including then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and then home minister Anil Deshmukh, among others.
Alleging that the MVA government had targeted Fadnavis as he had exposed corruption during its tenure, BJP legislator Pravin Darekar had demanded the setting up of an SIT to probe the alleged plot. He claimed he had sting operation footage aired by some TV channels to support his claims. Darekar had raised the issue during the winter session of the state legislature. Following this, senior cabinet minister Shambhuraje Desai had announced that an SIT would be set up and headed by a senior IPS officer.
“BJP MLC Pravin Darekar has raised a point of information over framing the then leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis and the then urban development minister Eknath Shinde in false cases. Last year, a complaint was also filed at Thane Nagar police in Thane for misuse of position and re-investigation of a case. We are approving the formation of a SIT headed by Satyanarayan Choudhary, (law and order) to investigate the matter,” states a government resolution (GR) issued by the state home department on Friday.
Apart from Choudhary, the four-member SIT will include Rajeev Jain, deputy inspector general of police; Navnath Dhavale, deputy commissioner of police (Zone-6); and Adikrao Pol, assistant commissioner of police, Mumbai city, according to the GR.
“The SIT has been asked to investigate a complaint filed against DCP Laxmikant Patil over starting a re-investigation in this regard. All the issues raised by the legislators in the legislative council will be covered by SIT during its investigation. The legislators will also get a period of 30 days to add to their complaints,” the GR stated.
The SIT has also been asked to submit its report as early as possible.
While raising the matter, Darekar had raised four demands — an SIT investigation into the allegations, suspension of DCP Laxmikant Patil, removal of public prosecutor Shekhar Jagtap from the government panel, and registration of a case against former director general of police and Mumbai police commissioner, Sanjay Pandey.
The SIT is likely to trigger another round of friction between the ruling and opposition parties in the state as Darekar had claimed that the alleged order to frame Fadnavis was issued at the government level. “An SIT inquiry will reveal who orchestrated this conspiracy and who operated from behind the scenes,” he asserted.
Vinayak Raut, senior leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), a member of the opposition MVA coalition, called the government’s action “politically motivated”. “During his tenure as chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray never acted against anyone out of personal vendetta. Despite the rivalry, Uddhav ji gave approval to Narayan Rane’s medical college in Sindhudurg,” he said. “Mahayuti government’s decision is cent per cent politically motivated.”
Clyde Crasto, spokesperson for the NCP, an ally in the Mahayuti coalition government, said it was yet to be seen if there was a case for misuse of power or whether the move was politically motivated. “Nobody is above the law. If anyone has misused his powers to do something which is not right, then questions should be asked and action should be taken. But if there is any political motive behind it, then it is wrong. We will have to wait and see what comes of this,” he said.
