CONG, NCP CRY FOUL

See vendetta in 'CBI overruling its investigation officer's preliminary finding that Deshmukh had no role in the Rs 100 crore collection scam’; Cong demands to know at whose behest CBI changed its stand, seeks SC-monitored probe

The Congress alleged on Sunday that a conspiracy of the Modi government to target former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and defame the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has been exposed. The investigation officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had concluded in his preliminary enquiry that Deshmukh had no role in the so-called Rs 100 crore collection of allegations by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh and had closed the enquiry but the Central agency ‘overrode’ the report as part of a ‘conspiracy’.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Sachin Sawant said, “We demand an SC-monitored inquiry into this conspiracy to find out at whose behest the CBI changed its stand, overriding the IO report? HC had only asked for PE but filing an FIR by misguiding the HC is a huge crime of the CBI. HM Amit Shah must take responsibility and immediately resign.”

“A clear example of how these agencies have become the political weapons of the Modi government to target their opponents. Even courts are misguided, rules are bent, inquiries kept unending. Such conspiracies happen only in an autocracy. High time the entire nation comes together to save our democracy,” said Sawant. Nationalist Congress Party national spokesman and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik demanded the CBI clarify the ‘exact status’ of the Anil Deshmukh case. “The CBI document which has given a clean chit to Deshmukh is doing the rounds on social media and is in several newspapers today. This is a serious issue, and if the document is true, there can’t be more serious political vendetta than this,” he added.

Malik said no action could be taken with the intention of political revenge.

State NCP chief Jayant Patil also attacked CBI and ED actions against Deshmukh.

NCP minister Hasan Mushrif demanded that the former Mumbai police commissioner, who had levelled corruption charges against Deshmukh, be jailed at the earliest. A plot has been hatched to discredit NCP with Singh’s involvement, he said.

Barely a few hours after the statements by the Congress and NCP, the CBI said, in a release, “It may be recalled that the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Bombay had ordered the registration of a PE in the said matter based on several PILs filed before the Hon’ble High Court. On completion of this PE, the competent authority directed registration of a regular case based on evidence collected during PE and the legal opinion. The FIR

registered by CBI on April 21, 2021 has been available on CBI website since April 24, 2021. Investigation in the matter is ongoing.”