Former Maharashtra Home Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Dismissed Assistant Police Inspector and controversial officer Sachin Waze has claimed to have submitted a letter with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the alleged bribes accepted by former Home Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh, when Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was at the helm in the State.
This possibly has reopened a Pandora’s box just ahead of Assembly elections in Maharashtra. The latest development is a reaction to Mr. Deshmukh’s recent purported disclosure that Mr. Fadnavis had sent a close aide in 2021 to implicate Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, former Minister and youth leader Aaditya Thackeray, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab and NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, else face imprisonment. Mr. Deshmukh along with Opposition alliance had demanded for evidence from Mr. Fadnavis to refute the charge.
“I have submitted a letter to Devendra Fadnavis written by me and the evidence associated with whatever has happened. The money used to get routed through his [Mr. Deshmukh’s] assistant. Even the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has the related evidence and I am ready to undergo narco test as well. I have also named Jayant Patil as well,” Mr. Waze, who is the prime accused in Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani’s residence bomb scare and Mansukh Hiren murder cases of 2021, said.
While at Nagpur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mr. Fadnavis who also has State’s Home portfolio told media persons he hasn’t seen the letter and its contents, “I will see what accusations have been made and will accordingly initiate action.”
Based on Mr. Waze’s allegations, the CBI in 2021 had registered a graft case against Mr. Deshmukh of the former being directed to collect ₹100 crore per month from Mumbai’s bar owners. The former Home Minister had resigned and was later arrested spending over 13 months imprisoned. As Mr. Waze has made these charges once again, the MVA has responded in turns as a united force, with all the three partners countering the allegations.
Shiv Sena (UBT) senior leader Sanjay Raut drew an inference that whenever the BJP is in crisis, Mr. Waze has spoken up.
Reacting to allegations, Mr. Deshmukh claimed this is a new move made at the behest of Mr. Fadnavis in response to the claims of the latter’s implication plan. “Mr. Fadnavis may not be aware that the Bombay High Court has observed that Mr. Waze has a criminal background and has been arrested in two murder cases. He is an untrustworthy individual. Mr. Fadnavis has roped in a person with such criminal antecedents to implicate him,” Mr. Deshmukh commented.
NCP (SP)’s working president and Baramati Member of Parliament Supriya Sule in a bid to defend her party colleague said that Mr. Waze’s accusation seems to be planned and there are multiple Jayant Patil in Maharashtra and she will not assume this person is the one in NCP (SP). “Look at the timing of this letter and the allegations. Why is Mr. Deshmukh being accused only now? As Assembly elections are two months away, that these charges are being levelled,” Ms. Sule added.
One of the MVA’s partners, Congress too was offensive and defensive on the issue stating that the drama is being staged in Maharashtra and Mr. Fadnavis should not have kept the evidence under wraps, given the Constitutional position he is on. After the MVA gets elected, they will investigate the issues, claimed Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole. On the other hand, Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe questioned how was Mr. Waze permitted to speak to the media while behind bars since March 2021.
