Anil Deshmukh case: Maharashtra govt moves Bombay High Court against CBI summons to Chief Secretary, DGP; seeks SIT probe

The Maharashtra government has approached the Bombay High Court against the summons issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte and Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey in connection with the case registered against former State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

The petition sought constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case, as well as a stay on the ongoing CBI investigation.

The matter was mentioned on Wednesday before a Bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and SV Kotwal for urgent listing.

When Justice Kotwal asked counsel for the State why the matter was urgent, special counsel Ranbir Singh said that the highest officers in the State were being harassed.

The Bench was, however, not convinced and listed the matter for hearing on October 20.

Deshmukh is being investigated in relation to allegations of corruption after the Bombay High Court had allowed the CBI to investigate the matter. He had stepped down from the post of Home Minister after the allegations surfaced.

The FIR against him was registered based on a letter by then Commissioner of Mumbai Police, Param Bir Singh.

CBI issued summons to State officers immediately after the Mumbai Police had issued summons to CBI Director Subodh Jaiswal to appear before it in connection with the FIR registered in the illegal phone tapping and data leak case.