CBI raids premises of ex-Maha HM Deshmukh in Nagpur, Mumbai

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday conducted searches at the premises of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh at multiple locations in connection with the leak of confidential documents related to the preliminary enquiry against him on allegations of corruption, officials said Monday.

A team of CBI officials reached the residence of Deshmukh in Nagpur and Mumbai this morning with necessary warrants, they said.

The CBI on September 2 had arrested Deshmukh's lawyer Anand Daga and its own sub-inspector Abhishek Tiwari for allegedly leaking confidential documents related to the preliminary enquiry against Deshmukh, they said.

The agency had started a PE on the orders of the Bombay High Court which had issued the directions while hearing a public interest litigation on allegations of corruption against Deshmukh.

The PE findings showed the Deputy SP probing the matter had purportedly opined that no cognisable offence was made out against Deshmukh but it was later converted into an FIR based on a contrasting opinion of the Deputy SP.

The opinion mentioned in the FIR said that cognisable offence is made out against Deshmukh.

The findings giving clean chit to Deshmukh got leaked to the media causing an embarrassment to the CBI after opposition parties accused the agency of conducting a motivated probe against the then minister.

Soon after the leak, the CBI booked Tiwari and Daga on the allegations of leaking documents.

It has been reliably learnt that Sub-Inspector Tiwari came in contact with Nagpur-based advocate Daga during the course of the inquiry, the FIR alleged.

It said that Tiwari had been in regular contact with him, it alleged.

The FIR alleged that Daga handed an IPhone 12 pro as illegal gratification to Tiwari for passing details of the enquiry and investigation pertaining to corruption allegations against Deshmukh.

The agency also alleged that Tiwari had been receiving illegal gratification from Daga at regular intervals.