CBI books ex-Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in alleged bribery case
New Delhi: The CBI has booked former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in connection with allegations of bribery against him and carried out searches at various locations in Mumbai on Saturday, officials said.
The probe agency had carried out a preliminary enquiry on the orders of Bombay High Court to look into the allegations against him levelled by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, they said.
According to the officials, during the enquiry, the CBI got enough prima facie material to start a formal probe by registering a regular case against Deshmukh and other unidentified persons under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
After registering the case, the CBI started a search operation at a number of locations in Mumbai, they said.
On March 25, Param Bir Singh filed criminal public interest litigation seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh who, he claimed, had asked police officers, including suspended cop Sachin Waze, to extort Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants.
Singh had initially approached the Supreme Court, alleging he was transferred from the post of Mumbai police commissioner after he complained to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders about the "corrupt malpractices" of Deshmukh.
The apex court had termed the matter as quite serious but asked Singh to approach the high court.
Singh then filed the PIL in the high court, reiterating his allegations against Deshmukh and seeking an "immediate, unbiased, impartial" probe by the CBI against Deshmukh, who is an NCP leader.
The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress share power in Maharashtra.
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Social media campaigns, flexboards won't decide who will be Kerala CM: Chennithala
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, a CM hopeful, on Wednesday said that social media campaigns and putting up of flexboards wiill not be the deciding factors for selecting the chief minister of Kerala.
Chennithala made the remark in response to reporters queries in Delhi on the intense social media campaign in favour of V D Satheesan as CM on the ground that he led the UDF poll campaign from the front.
"Who should be CM is not decided based on social media campaigns or the flexboards put up by the supporters. It is decided by the high command in accordance with the procedure already in place.
"As part of that two party observers will reach Kerala by evening and they will speak to all the MLAs. After that, the party high command will take a decision," the senior Congress leader said.
He said that the high command will take the decision based on party interests and everyone will accept it.
Chennithala also rejected queries about whether the alleged contest within the party for the CM post will create any displeasure among the voters.
"There will be no displeasure among voters as there is no contest," he contended.
On whether there was a delay in announcing the CM for Kerala, Chennithala said that the chief minister has not been selected in the other state where polls were held.
"So, can it be said that there is a delay in the case of Kerala?" he asked.
He said that he was in Delhi for a meeting with Rahul Gandhi regarding finalisation of the DCC presidents in Maharashtra.
