CM didn't act on top secret graft report in police Department: Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday slammed Maha Vikas Aghadi Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for remaining silent on a top secret intelligence report which exposed alleged corruption in a racket involving transfers and promotions in the Maharashtra Police.

"There is widespread corruption, exchange of money in transfers and promotions of police personnel. In the report, there are names of several IPS, non-IPS and other beneficiaries in the report," Devendra Fadnavis claimed.

He reiterated that earlier, when former DGP Subodh Jaiswal had submitted a probe report on alleged corruption in police transfers through former Commissioner State Intelligence Department (SID) Rashmi Shukla, the state government failed to take any cognizance.

Fadnavis provided certain excerpts from the top secret report (August 25, 2020) on the SID Commissioner's letterhead speaking how complaints about a "network of 'brokers' had emerged, particularly individuals with firmly ingrained political connections" arranging police transfers for huge monetary gains.

She added that in order to authenticate these charges the phone numbers of those allegedly involved were tapped "with due regard to the established process" and after gathering the data, it was clear "there is significant merit in these allegations", and sought a detailed enquiry into the sensitive matter.

On receipt, the then DGP Jaiswal forwarded it the next day to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sitaram Kunte with a request to bring it to the notice of the Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray), maintain adequate secrecy to prevent unnecessary scrutiny which could bring disrepute to the government.

While Thackeray was given a briefing, he later forwarded it to Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who is currently in the eye of a storm following an explosive letter written by former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh.

Since the MVA government did not act, Fadnavis said he would submit the 'extremely sensitive report' with all the names in it to Union Home Secretary A.K. Bhalla and demand a CBI enquiry.

Challenging Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar's contentions regarding Deshmukh, Fadnavis on Tuesday hit back alleging that the NCP chief was trying to protect the latter and not speaking the truth.

Refuting Pawar's statements on Monday that Deshmukh was in home quarantine in Nagpur during the relevant dates mentioned in the letter by former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh, Fadnavis exhibited a flight manifesto, police VIP movements' records and other papers and declared that the HM was actually in Mumbai and not in quarantine.

"This is an attempt to protect Deshmukh, Pawar Saheb is not being briefed properly and hence not speaking the truth. They are getting exposed in the process," Fadnavis claimed, addressing the media.