On Monday Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh submitted his resignation to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray after Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into the allegations of extortion against him by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
“Dilip Walse Patil’s Labour department charge is being given to Hasan Mushrif as additional charge and state Excise Department will be looked after by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar” Maharashtra CMO said.
Sena leader Sanjay Raut had earlier claimed that alongside Jayant, Walse Patil was Sharad Pawar’s choice for the Home Minister the NCP supremo turned to Deshmukh only after the two leader declined to take a role.
Deshmukh’s resignation may also work to relieve some of the tension in the coalition over his continuing in the Cabinet despite the allegations. The NCP said it recommended to the CM that he should accept the resignation.
Soon after he quit, Deshmukh left for New Delhi where he held consultations with lawyers including Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Deshmukh is expected to file an appeal in the Supreme Court to challenge the HC order.
While ordering a CBI preliminary enquiry, a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish S Kulkarni observed: “Prima facie, the issues are such that the very faith of citizens in functioning of the police department is at stake. If there is any amount of truth in such allegations, certainly it has a direct effect on citizens’ confidence in the police machinery in the State.”
In its 52-page ruling the court said the allegations prima facie indicate “commission of cognizable offence.” And that it cannot remain a “mere spectator” when the credibility of the state machinery was at stake given the “expectations of law” and the nature of the complaints.
“Here, Shri Deshmukh is the Home Minister. The police department is under his control and direction,” the court underlined. “There can be no fair, impartial, unbiased and untainted probe, if the same were entrusted to the State Police Force. As of necessity, the probe has to be entrusted to an independent agency like the CBI. We also agree with petitioner Patil that directions are required for facilitating an unbiased, impartial, fair but effective probe so that the truth is unearthed and the devil, if any, shamed in accordance with procedure established by law.”
“The Bombay High Court in their order passed on a petition filed by Jayshri Patil have asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to carry out ‘preliminary inquiry’. In view of this order I feel that it would not be morally right on my part to continue on the post. I have hereby decided to stay away from the post and would request you to relieve me from the post of Home Minister,” Deshmukh said in his resignation letter he handed to Thackeray.
In the MVA government, the NCP has been allocated a maximum of 12 Cabinet berths; followed by the Sena with 11 and Congress eight.
