The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed a fresh FIR against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh was allegedly trying to frame BJP leaders in false cases.
Following a two-year-long preliminary inquiry, which originated from a pen drive handed over to the then Maharashtra Assembly speaker by Devendra Fadnavis, who was then the Leader of the Opposition, the case was lodged.
The case centers around a December 2020 zero FIR, allegedly filed in Nimbhora Jalgaon police station, connected to a two-year-old incident in Pune. The FIR was later transferred to Pune in January 2021.
According to the CBI, Special Public Prosecutor Pravin Pandit Chavan, in collaboration with Vijay Bhaskarrao Patil and Deshmukh, fabricated evidence to falsely implicate BJP leaders to gain control of the Jalgaon Zilla Maratha Vidhya Prasarak Sahakari Samaj Limited, an educational institution.
The CBI has named Deshmukh, Chavan, Patil, and former DCP Poornima Gaikwad and ACP Sushma Chavan as accused in the FIR. Deshmukh, responding to the development, dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and accused Fadnavis of engaging in “dirty politics” in Maharashtra. Deshmukh vowed to continue his fight against what he described as the “oppression” by the BJP.
The prima facie findings of the CBI enquiry show that Special Public Prosecutor Pravin Pandit Chavan conspired with one Vijay Bhaskarrao Patil, who acted as the complainant, and the then home minister Anil Deshmukh to file a zero FIR on December 9, 2020 at Nimbhora Jalgaon police station related to a two-year-old incident in Pune “to falsely implicate BJP leaders and others to wrest control of the Jalgaon Zilla Maratha Vidhya Prasarak Sahakari Samaj Limited (Educational institution),” the FIR has alleged. “Later, the zero FIR was transferred to Pune and registered on January 5, 2021,” it said.
Further, the FIR mentions that special public prosecutor Chavan, Patil and then DCP Poornima Gaikwad and ACP Sushma Chavan fabricated the statements of witnesses and evidence to “falsely implicate the BJP leaders and other innocent persons.”
Taking to X, Deshmukh called the case an indicator of the dirty politics being done by Fadnavis in the state. “This conspiracy has started after the ground beneath the feet of Fadnavis slipped away after seeing the opinion of the public. I do not begrudge such threats and pressure at all. Unflinchingly I have vowed to fight against this oppression of BJP,” he wrote.
