New Delhi:

A fresh case has been registered against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, former Special Public Prosecutor Praveen Pandit Chavan and others. The Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI has accused them of trying to frame BJP leaders.

In 2022, then Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis had handed over a pen drive to the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, which contained audio and video recordings that were allegedly evidence.  

It was alleged that Special Public Prosecutor Pravin Pandit Chavan was seen conspiring with high-ranking police officers and hatching conspiracy to frame prominent BJP leaders.

The video recording clearly shows that Pravin Pandit was involved in filing false cases against the applicant and other BJP leaders, the BJP had alleged.

“Special Public Prosecutor Mr. Pravin Pandit Chavan is clearly seen in the video recording plotting and drawing up conspiracies in complicity with high ranking Police Officials to frame various prominent leaders of BJP. The video recording clearly shows that Mr Pravin Pandit is involved in getting patently false cases registered against applicant and other leaders of BJP since first step of drafting FIRs. tutoring witnesses, arranging cash payments. instructing the investigating officers etc,” the CBI said.

The CBI had registered a preliminary inquiry and started investigating the case. After nearly two years of investigation, a case was lodged on July 31.

Mr Deshmukh resigned as state home minister in 2021 after ex-Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh accused him of setting a target to collect Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants.

Nagpur:

Senior NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Thursday challenged Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to make public the video clips that show him allegedly speaking against NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Deshmukh said, “Yesterday, Mr Fadnavis claimed that he has some video clips about my comments against Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. Then he should make the video clips public because I know he possesses none.”

“But he does not have any such video clips and he talked about them just to level allegations,” he said.

Mr Deshmukh also showed a pen drive saying that it contains evidence about the allegations he made against Fadnavis.

He reiterated his allegation that three years ago, he was pressured by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis to make an affidavit and level false allegations against Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar, Aaditya Thackeray and Anil Parab.

“But I clearly told them that I will not level any false allegations against anyone,” the former minister said.

He said he was sent to jail after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) action for refusing to sign the affidavit.

When asked about the pen drive in his hand, Deshmukh said it contains proof of his allegations against Mr Fadnavis.

“If I am challenged, I will reveal the video evidence I have. I don’t speak without proof. I have proof to establish that I was pressured to level false allegations against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders,” he said.

On Wednesday, Mr Deshmukh alleged that an ‘intermediary’ of Mr Fadnavis had asked him to provide affidavits against important figures in the MVA government to avoid getting embroiled in litigation himself. Mr Fadnavis had denied the allegation.

Mr Deshmukh stepped down as home minister in April 2021 after the then Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh accused him of asking police to collect money from hotel and bar owners in the city.

However, reacting to Mr Deshmukh’s allegation on Wednesday, Mr Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, had said it was baseless.

“Anil Deshmukh should know that his own party leaders have provided me with multiple pieces of audio-visual evidence of his comments about then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, or the controversial police officer Sachin Waze. If false accusations are levelled against me, I will have no choice but to make this evidence public,” Mr Fadnavis said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)