The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday informed the Bombay High Court that the Maharashtra government was allegedly interfering and hampering its investigation in the case against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh. The explosive claim comes in the backdrop of CBI registering an FIR on April 21 this year against former home minister Anil Deshmukh on charges of corruption and misuse of official position.
On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court told the CBI to conduct a “broad-based” investigation into the FIR against Anil Deshmukh. The central investigative agency, on the orders from the Bombay High Court, had asked the Maharashtra government to provide the required documents to carry out a proper investigation. The CBI said, “Bare perusal of certain documents would clarify the manner in which the concerned authorities in Government of Maharashtra are continuing to interfere with and hamper the investigation of CBI.”
According to reports the CBI addressed two letters to the Cyber Police Station in Mumbai seeking a copy of the reports submitted by IPS officer Rashmi Shukla on the issue of corruption in police transfers and postings, which had been seized by the police for investigation. The CBI requested these reports as it is required for the ongoing probe against Anil Deshmukh but the State Intelligent Department refused to provide the documents, claiming they were part of an ongoing investigation.
Anil Singh, CBI counsel, has further informed a division bench of Justices S S Shinde and N J Jamadar that the Maharastra government was not cooperating and also claimed that some CBI officers were “threatened by an assistant commissioner of police”. The court said it would issue a notice against the state government and take further actions.
The bench said, “We are issuing notice to the government. Some ACP is threatening the CBI officers. Find out what the situation is. Please do not create an unfair situation that we have to take them (police) to task.” “Please ensure that the directions given by this court and the order passed earlier are followed in letter and spirit,” the court warned the state government.
Maharastra Government seems to be walking parallel with the West Bengal government, as far as creating obstruction to the CBI is concerned. As reported by TFI, back in May during the ongoing investigation of the Narada Scam, the CBI, during a High Court hearing, confessed that it could not seek custody of the four arrested TMC politicians in the Narada sting tape and bribery case “as a result of the terror created by and at the behest of the arrested accused persons” in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and others.
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It may be noted that Mizoram, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Jharkhand and Punjab are the states which have withdrawn the general consent required by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct an investigation in the states. This proves that these respective states are indeed scared of their dirty politics to be exposed.