CBI Charges Ex-Maharashtra Minister Anil Deshmukh in BJP Framing Conspiracy

GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 4th Sept. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, former special public prosecutor Pravin Pandit Chavan, and two police officials for allegedly conspiring to frame top BJP leaders in a false case from 2020, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The FIR follows a two-year preliminary inquiry triggered by a pen drive submitted by Devendra Fadnavis, then an opposition leader. The pen drive contained purported video evidence suggesting that Chavan, along with Deshmukh and others, conspired to falsely implicate BJP leader Girish Mahajan, now a minister, in a fabricated case.

In 2020, a complaint was lodged by Vijay Patil, who alleged that in 2018, he was tortured and coerced into resigning from his position, with threats that Mahajan sought to take over the Jalgaon Zilla Maratha Vidhya Prasarak Sahakari Samaj. The complaint was initially registered as a zero FIR and subsequently transferred to Pune, where it was formally recorded on January 5, 2021.

Fadnavis, now Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, presented over 100 hours of video recordings to substantiate claims that the case was part of a broader conspiracy against BJP leaders. The investigation, initially handled by the CID, was later transferred to the CBI.

During the inquiry, four MLAs, including Mahajan, approached the CBI with allegations that the videos revealed Chavan plotting against BJP leaders. The recordings reportedly showed Chavan orchestrating false cases, including manipulating witness statements, arranging bribes, and even attempting to frame the case under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA).

The CBI alleges that the conspiracy aimed to gain control of the Jalgaon Zilla Maratha Vidhya Prasarak Sahakari Samaj, which manages over 30 educational institutions in the region. The agency has named Chavan, Patil, former DCP Poornima Gaikwad, and ACP Sushma Chavan as accused in the FIR, alongside Deshmukh.

Reacting to the FIR, Anil Deshmukh dismissed the allegations as “baseless,” accusing Fadnavis of engaging in “dirty politics” amid dwindling public support. Deshmukh asserted his resolve to fight the charges and criticized Fadnavis’ leadership, emphasizing that the people of Maharashtra are eagerly awaiting the upcoming assembly elections.