The Central Bureau of Investigation yesterday detained one of the lawyers representing former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh in a corruption case. The CBI also questioned the NCP leader’s son-in-law and arrested its own Sub-Inspector in connection with the alleged leak of an official investigation report into the allegations against Deshmukh that he asked policemen to collect money from bars and restaurants in the city.
The agency had intercepted their car around 7pm near Worli Seaface. Deshmukh’s son-in-law Gaurav Chaturvedi and his lawyer Anand Daga were travelling in the car. Though the agency let go of Chaturvedi after a few hours, it detained Daga.
The agency said in a statement that a case has been registered against Daga, CBI Sub-Inspector Abhishek Tiwari and unknown others and the charges include illegal gratification. “During the investigation of said (Deshmukh) case, CBI has today arrested the Sub Inspector. The said advocate is being questioned. Searches were conducted at Allahabad and Delhi,” said the CBI.
The leaked report allegedly showed that no cognizable offence was made out against Anil Deshmukh. The CBI had said that the report was not final but an initial enquiry report submitted by the IO. A CBI spokesperson said that the enquiry report goes through several rounds of consultation and even legal officers’ opinion is taken into account before a superior officer takes a final call.
According to a report by The Indian Express quoting a CBI officer, Daga had allegedly bribed the Sub-Inspector who was involved in a preliminary enquiry. The officer claimed that the agency has evidence to show that the lawyer bribed an officer working at a level below the investigating officer.
Deshmukh’s family, however, alleged that Chaturvedi and Daga were taken to the CBI officer forcibly and claimed that none of the procedures laid down by law was followed by the CBI. After the CBI FIR, the ED had also booked Deshmukh and his two aides in connection with a money laundering case.
