Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Monday, 3 May, filed a writ petition at the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy.
The writ plea will be heard by a division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale this week.
The CBI last month had registered an FIR stating that the preliminary enquiry (PE) prima facie revealed that Deshmukh and unknown persons attempted to obtain 'undue advantage for improper and dishonest performance of his public duty'.
On 24 April, CBI carried out searches at various locations, stated a report by PTI, quoting sources.
Besides, seeking quashing of the FIR, Deshmukh has sought interim protection from any ‘coercive action’ against him by the investigating agency.
Earlier, on 5 April, the Bombay High Court had directed a preliminary inquiry by the CBI into the allegations by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
Singh had accused Deshmukh of corruption, meddling in the police force’s functioning, and manipulating transfers and postings in the state. He had demanded a CBI probe into his allegations.
Singh made these allegations while he challenged his transfer to the Home Guard Department by the Maharashtra government, in the backdrop of the Mukesh Ambani bomb-scare case and his alleged proximity with former API Sachin Vaze, who was arrested in the case.
Singh had also claimed that Deshmukh held meetings in February 2021 with junior police officers, including Vaze and instructed them to accumulate Rs 100 crore every month.
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