Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday conducted searches at the properties of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh following charges of corruption levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh.
Deshmukh's Dnyaneshwari bungalow, his Worli house and properties in Nagpur were among the places that were searched.
On Saturday evening, Deshmukh told the media, "A CBI team had arrived at my residence and conducted a search. I've fully co-operated with them."
The CBI has pressed charges against him for allegedly demanding the police to 'collect' Rs 100 crore from pubs and bars in Mumbai city when he was the home minister.
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Earlier, a team of CBI from Delhi interrogated him at his Civil Lines residence in Nagpur for 24 hours, sources said.
Speaking on the development, Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif said: “This case is an attempt to defame the National Congress Party. Anil Deshmukh will be released as he is innocent. The ED and CBI are being used for political purposes. Just one letter and actions of this magnitude? I was also investigated by the ED earlier. All facts will be crystal clear soon."
The case in brief
After the then Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh accused Deshmukh of pressuring the police officials to collect money worth Rs 100 crore, Singh lodged a petition in Supreme Court in this regard. Following this, the apex court instructed Singh to appeal to the Mumbai High Court, which directed the CBI to conduct a primary inquiry into the petition.
