Fadnavis assures probe as Waze reiterates allegations

Former Maharashtra home minister and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar leader Anil Deshmukh on Saturday claimed that dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze's fresh allegation of bribery against him was a 'new move' by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Reacting to Waze's claims, Fadnavis, who heads the Home department, assured to conduct a proper inquiry.

Waze, an accused in the 'Antilia' bomb scare and Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran murder cases, is currently lodged in Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai.

As per media reports, Waze has reiterated his bribery allegations against Deshmukh.

Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had alleged that Deshmukh, during his tenure as home minister, asked police officers to collect Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants in the city. In the wake of the allegations, Deshmukh had stepped down as the home minister in 2021.

Waze had earlier told an inquiry commission that he had paid money to Deshmukh's associates on the latter's instructions.

"What Sachin Waze spoke is a new move by Devendra Fadnavis, as a few days back, I had levelled allegations against Fadnavis about how he had three years back given a proposal to me to implicate Uddhav Thackeray and Aditya Thackeray," Deshmukh said.

Fadnavis may not know that the Bombay High Court spoke about Sachin Waze's criminal background. He was arrested in two murder cases and is not a person who can be trusted, he said.

Deshmukh accused Fadnavis of using a person with a criminal background to implicate him.

Deshmukh recently claimed that Fadnavis as the opposition leader had tried to pressure him to sign affidavits against the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray, and even against Ajit Pawar, the Deputy CM in the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Fadnavis denied the allegations and threatened to release several audio-visual clips of Deshmukh, who hit back, claiming possession of a pen drive containing serious allegations against the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader.

"I learnt about it (Waze's claim) from the media. Media reported that Sachin Waze had sent me a letter. I have not yet seen the letter as I have been in Nagpur for the last two days. I will find out if such a letter is received and respond. We would certainly conduct a proper inquiry into emerging (disclosures)," he told reporters.