‘No clean chit for Anil Deshmukh, attempt to frame Devendra Fadnavis’

Anil Deshmukh, former home minister. File Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Justice K U Chandiwal (retired), who probed the corruption charges against Anil Deshmukh, has said that he had not given ‘clean chit' to the then-home minister in his inquiry report and that Deshmukh and police officer Sachin Waze had tried to implicate then-Opposition leader, Devendra Fadnavis.

Chandiwal made some stunning revelations in an interview given to ABP Majha, creating ripples in political circles amid the state Assembly polls campaign. Recently, Deshmukh published his biographical account that dealt with the case and the days he spent in prison.

The MVA government had appointed retired high court Justice Chandiwal to probe the graft allegations the city's former police chief Param Bir Singh had levelled against Deshmukh. The Chandiwal Commission report was submitted to then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Neither the MVA nor the Mahayuti government made it public.

Singh had written an eight-page letter to the CM and governor, accusing Deshmukh of several malpractices. He claimed Deshmukh made a plan to extract R100 crore from the city's hotels, bars and restaurants by pressing police officer Sachin Waze into service. Before resigning, Deshmukh had requested then CM Uddhav Thackeray to initiate an inquiry against him.

The retired justice said that he had refused to record the names of Sharad Pawar (then chief of undivided NCP) and Ajit Pawar (then DyCM) that were mentioned in Waze's affidavit with the purpose of implicating them. Chandiwal further told the interviewer that Waze and Deshmukh had also tried to frame Fadnavis. "I told Waze that I would not take it on record as evidence. Taking big names was an attempt to seek publicity. I didn't want that to happen. It was not in the scope of my inquiry," he added.

Waze retracted the affidavits later, said Chandiwal. "I had clearly told Waze that I would not summon political people named in his affidavits and take anything on record." When asked about retractions, Chandiwal said one Thane DCP, who regularly attended hearings, would intervene. He also said that he was told that the people [Waze, Deshmukh, Parambir Singh] who were being probed and summoned by him, had met.

‘Evidence not submitted'

He said he had not used the words ‘clean chit' for Deshmukh, who claimed to have been exonerated by the commission. "I have not given Deshmukh a clean chit. I said that the evidence was not submitted despite being available," he stated further, adding that the situation would have been different if the evidence had been submitted. "Singh later said in an affidavit that whatever he had alleged against Deshmukh was hearsay." According to him, his report had strictures and recommendations that could not be ‘digested' by any government.

No evidence: Deshmukh

Deshmukh said though Chandiwal had said there was no mention of ‘clean chit', he had amply made clear that there was no evidence against him [Deshmukh]. He wondered how he could meet Waze or any other person when he was in jail. He said he had no idea about the DCP Chandiwal talked about.

Fresh CBI probe needed: Fadnavis

DyCM Fadnavis said the revelations were explosive, and the commission said that it had not given any clean chit to Deshmukh. He further said that Waze had written a letter that he was under pressure and that had been vindicated now. "I think that the CBI should conduct a fresh inquiry into this," Fadnavis said.