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.

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Friday lambasted opposition for its “pettiness” over the collapse of the Shivaji statue at Sindhudurg after Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to the people of Maharashtra who were hurt by the collapse.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Fadnavis said, “The opposition is only seeing the politics in the incident, they cannot see beyond the politics. The Prime Minister has openly apologised to all the devotees of Shivaji. Doing politics on this is the pettiness of the opposition. We do not need the Congress’s certificate.”

Earlier PM Modi while addressing a gathering at Malvan in Maharashtra’s Palghar district apologised for the incident.

“Those who consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their deity and have been deeply hurt, I bow my head and apologise to them. Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity,” PM Modi said.

A 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the state’s Sindhudurg district collapsed on August 26.

Notably, in December last year, PM Modi had inaugurated the 35-foot statue of Shivaji in coastal Maharashtra. Less than nine months later, the statue collapsed.

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

Mumbai:

Virtually kickstarting the campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) President Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday challenged Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying “Either you will survive or I”, triggering a protest from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking at a pre-election preparatory meeting of party workers and leaders from Mumbai, Mr Thackeray said, “We endured everything but stood firm and taught the BJP a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections.”

“Our party was broken, we were targeted by central probe agencies, money power was used against us, and they even wanted to throw us in jail… But we survived everything and emerged victorious,” he said amid thunderous applause.

The former chief minister recalled how ex-Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had informed him that Mr Fadnavis was ‘conspiring’ to dump both Uddhav Thackeray and Aditya Thackeray in jail.

Mr Thackeray warned Mr Fadnavis, saying, “If you act straight we shall be straight, but if you play crooked, we shall do likewise.” 

“Now either you will stay or I will,” he added.

He also reminded the gathering how the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) unitedly won 4 out of 6 LS seats in Mumbai, adding that the opposition’s performance made the top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, uncomfortable.

“Listening to PM Modi’s speeches has become painful now…” Mr Thackeray said.

On BJP’s charges of getting only minority votes in the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Thackeray narrated an incident where a large number of Muslims were present and he asked them if they had reservations about him being a Hindu or his idea of Hindutva, and they unanimously said ‘no’.

Referring to the BJP as a “party of crooks”, Mr Thackeray claimed that in the recent past, he met many national Opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav, who paid compliments to him by saying: “Uddhavji, you have shown a direction to the country”.

“I was never elected as a municipal corporator, I directly became the chief minister… I did everything possible. This (Assembly elections) is the last challenge for you. They broke the party. Sena is not a rusty sword, but a sharp weapon, and we must fight to save Mumbai and the state. They must be given a befitting reply,” Mr Thackeray said.

Claiming that those who split and left the party now want to return to the party fold, Mr Thackeray reiterated that those who want to leave can go, but “we will continue the political fight with our Shiv Sainiks as our name has put fear in them”.

Mr Thackeray also said that the dispute over the Shiv Sena name and poll symbol — which were allotted to the group led by chief minister Eknath Shinde — has created confusion among the people, “but the Supreme Court verdict will come in our favour”.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including state President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Ashish Shelar, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Pravin Darekar, Ashish Shelar, and others, lashed out at Mr Thackeray, accusing him of “sowing communal divisions among the people”, and saying “you will have to take 100 births before finishing Mr Fadnavis’ politics”.

Mr Bawankule said Mr Thackeray has forgotten how he got his MPs elected in Narendra Modi’s name, but when he was the chief minister, he backstabbed the BJP and even hatched a conspiracy to put Mr Fadnavis in jail, “but with people’s blessings, he could not succeed”.

The state BJP chief alleged Pakistani flags were seen in Mr Thackeray’s meetings in Nashik and Mumbai, but now he’s talking about finishing Mr Fadnavis.

He also accused Mr Thackeray of provoking such elements and polarising different castes and religions that have lived harmoniously here.

Mr Mungantiwar said the late Balasaheb Thackeray would never have gone with the Congress, but Uddhav Thackeray did and abandoned Hindutva for power.

Slamming Mr Thackeray for making ‘personal threats’ against the deputy chief minister, Mr Darekar said his comments were manifestations of failure and helplessness, but “in the Assembly elections, PM Modi is not required as Shinde-Fadnavis are sufficient for you”.

Mr Shelar said, “We accept your challenge. The BJP will ensure that the masses show Shiv Sena (UBT) its place in the upcoming elections.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders like Chandrakant Khaire, Kishori Pednekar, Kishore Tiwari, and others lauded Mr Thackeray for his bold and no-holds-barred speech, as they took potshots at the BJP saying “don’t forget, he is the scion of Balasaheb Thackeray”.

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.)

Gadchiroli:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and Industry Minister Uday Samant had a narrow escape on Wednesday after the helicopter in which they were travelling from Nagpur to Gadchiroli lost its way due to poor visibility amid bad weather.

However, the pilot skilfully managed to get back on course and landed the helicopter safely.

The trio had gone to Gadchiroli for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs 10,000 crore Surjagad Ispat integrated steel project in Aheri tehsil of the district.

It was Ajit Pawar who narrated the incident at the function, crediting the pilot’s skill in their safe landing.

“The helicopter properly took off from Nagpur for Gadchiroli. I was quite comfortable after our take-off, watching the clouds. I also told Fadnavis to see them. However, during the journey, the helicopter lost its route due to monsoon clouds. Despite this, Fadnavis was quite calm and was chatting with me. I was getting restless and worried. However, Fadnavis told me not to worry saying that he had met with six accidents earlier and escaped safely. He told me that I will also be safe today,” he said.

The NCP chief said Fadnavis repeatedly told him not to worry.

“I was getting worried about a safe landing. But Fadnavis was quite cool. Uday Samant told me to watch out for the landing site. After looking at it from the window, I heaved a sigh of relief,” he added.

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

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Monday accused Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of supporting his cabinet colleague and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s demand for nullifying the Kunbi evidence in Maharashtra.

Addressing a rally in Nanded, Jarange indicated that candidates of the ruling Mahayuti will be defeated in all 288 seats in the upcoming assembly elections.

“I challenge Devendra Fadnavis. You are giving power to Chhagan Bhujbal. We don’t have a problem with it. But you are making OBCs stand against the Marathas. You should not listen to Chhagan Bhujbal and damage the BJP in the state,” said Jarange, who has been demanding the reservation for the Maratha community by recognising them as Kunbis under the OBC grouping.

“Give us the reservation of our share. But if you listen to Chhagan Bhujbal, your 288 candidates (in upcoming assembly polls) will be defeated. We know that we did not get anything since 1980. But then why are they (Fadnavis) repeating the same mistake? When he gave 13 per cent reservation to Marathas, the community gave 106 MLAs to BJP,” he said.

Jarange alleged the government has said on paper that 57 lakh evidences of ‘Kunbi’ are found.

“Even if we consider three people getting benefit from one piece of evidence, 1.5 crore Marathas went into quota and Bhujbal calls me mad even after this,” he claimed.

Jarange alleged that the agitation (of the OBC community) commenced when Marathas were staging protests for reservation, which means the state is supporting OBC agitators and wants violence.

“We want to win this fight (of agitation) by peace. Marathas and OBCs in villages should remain peaceful,” he added.

He accused the government of conspiring against him.

“They tried to attack me and also appointed an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to put me behind bars. But I am not afraid. Officers from the Maratha community are also being threatened now,” Jarange alleged.

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

Nagpur:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday made light of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray’s criticism of the budget by saying the latter had himself once admitted he does not understand it.

The budget for 2024-25 presented in the Assembly earlier in the day by deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar brings happiness to all sections of society with various welfare schemes, Mr Fadnavis asserted while speaking to reporters at the airport here.

Mr Thackeray had described the Maharashtra budget as a “torrent of assurances” and a “false narrative” pretending to offer something to every section of society.

“Uddhav Thackeray had earlier said, and that too on stage, that he does not understand the budget. When he has said something like this then there is no need to respond to his comment,” Me Fadnavis asserted.

Answering a query, the deputy chief minister said cotton and soybean farmers, most of whom are from Vidarbha, will get relief from the budget announcements and financial aid will be deposited in their bank accounts directly.

The decision on DBT for them was taken earlier but could not be implemented due to the model code of conduct in force for the Lok Sabha polls, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said.

“Dairy farmers will get subsidy of Rs 5 per litre. The Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, the provision for three free gas cylinders, Rs 10,000 stipend for youth etc have brought happiness to all sections of society. The CM and finance minister have given a very good budget,” he said. 

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

New Delhi:

Maharashtra is working to install AI-powered cameras in eateries across Pune and the licences of 70 pubs have been cancelled after the horrific Porsche crash in which a teen driver ran over two techies, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in the state assembly today.

The Porsche crash and its aftermath were at the centre of a massive showdown in the state assembly between the government and the Opposition.

Pune has become a drug haven, the Opposition charged.

Tackling the Opposition’s key question – what action has been taken to prevent such accidents in the future, Mr Fadnavis, also the state Home Minister, said, “After the accident, 70 pub licences have been cancelled in Pune. Work is being done to install AI-enabled cameras to know when the establishment shuts for the day, whether the age of the customer was checked upon entry, and what proof of age was provided on entry. If patrons are allowed entry without proof, action will be taken.”

The teen who was driving the Porsche on May 19 was seen on security footage drinking with his friends in two pubs, unstopped by anyone though he is underage.

Opposition’s “Udta Punjab” Charge

Opposition leader in the Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Waddetiwar claimed Pune is becoming like ‘Udta Punjab’ – a reference to the drug menace in the border state.

“Pune is a city where students come from across the country, but there is no place here where you don’t get drugs. This car, which was without a number plate, was on the roads for six months. How did the police allow it to be on the road for so long? If they are doing something later, or changing blood samples, there must be political reasons for it. Rs 5 lakh was taken as hafta (extortion money) from rooftop hotels in the city and Rs 2.5 lakh from smaller outlets. How were 27 pubs running there without permission? What was the Police Commissioner doing? We need a detailed investigation,” he said.

Countering the explosive charges, Mr Fadnavis said, “Pune is the IT hub and the cultural centre of the state. This is why we should not liken it to “Udta Punjab”.

“I am not here to give a clean chit to anyone. The police have taken a very proactive approach here. There is no need to investigate them. This is a new habit, someone brings a paper and talks about rate cards. Here, the police have undertaken the investigation and the information provided by Mr Waddetiwar will be looked into by us,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

How did the car without a number plate go unnoticed for six months, the opposition questioned. “They had registered the car but not fulfilled the process. The tax was not paid. We will look into it and see if any RTO officers are involved,” Mr Fadnavis replied.

Mr Fadnavis also defended the Pune Police Commissioner and said that he has done a very proactive job, dismissing calls for action against him.

“The accident happened on May 19 around 2:30 am. The accused was beaten by the people gathered at the spot and was later taken to the police station. The police filed a complaint under Section 304(a) of the Indian Penal Code (causing death by negligence). After officials said that Section 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) should be filed, it was added to the case diary the same day,” Mr Fadnavis said, defending the police action in the case.

“We very clearly mentioned before the Juvenile Justice Board that the boy is involved in the accident and he is 17 years old… The police said that he should be treated as an adult.

“After Nirbhaya, we have seen that if a 17-year-old commits a crime, he/she can be treated as an adult,” he explained.

The Home Minister also addressed how the cops moved in promptly to prevent the case from being derailed by a blood swap. “When no alcohol was found in the teen’s blood sample, the police figured that something was wrong. They took the teen’s DNA and that of his family. The match returned positive with his father.

“The investigation continued. Several people were arrested, including a doctor. One of the arrested accused confessed to taking Rs 3 lakh to swap out the sample,” he said.

“Following this, a chargesheet was filed and legal evidence was prepared. The crash impact analysis was investigated, and we knew that the lock speed after he pressed the brakes was 110 kmph.

“We got the CCTV footage from along the route the teen took and all legal and technical evidence are put together,” he said.

“Where Did The Police Go Wrong?”

Further extending the government’s support to the police, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister said, “A case was filed against the teen’s father for giving a car to his underage son, against the bar operator, and against the grandfather for asking their driver to take the fall.

“Where did the police go wrong? When the accused was brought in at 3 am, he should have been sent for a medical test immediately. But that happened at 8:30 am. Secondly, when such crimes happen, they usually charge the accused under Section 304(a). The police also did the same in this case but they ideally should have informed the seniors. Those who did not do their work have been suspended,” he said.

In the early hours of May 19, the teenager, who had been drinking with his friends in two pubs in Pune to celebrate his Class 12 results, rammed a speeding Porsche into a two-wheeler and killed two 24-year-old IT professionals in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar area. Aneesh Awadhiya, who was riding the bike was sent flying and hit a parked car, while Ashwini Koshta – riding pillion – was flung 20 feet into the air. Both died on the spot.

At 17 years and 8 months, the teenager was four months short of the legal age for driving and more than seven years shy of Maharashtra’s legal age for drinking. He was initially granted bail within 15 hours of the accident and asked to write a 300-word essay on traffic safety and assist the traffic cops. Following massive outrage over the court order, the teen was sent to a remand home.

Subsequently, several arrests were made in the case, including the teen’s parents and grandfather. The Bombay High Court recently ordered the teen’s release, saying, “We are bound by law, the aims and objectives of the Juvenile Justice Act and must treat him as any child in conflict with law separately from an adult, despite the seriousness of the crime.”

Raipur:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said rallies of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reminded him of Hindi film “Ghajini”, in which the main character suffers from short term memory loss, as the latter has forgotten promises he made in the run up to the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference, the senior BJP leader took a swipe at the ruling Congress in the state and alleged tainted money from the liquor scam was being invested in the elections.

“After seeing some rallies of Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, I am reminded of the (2008) film Ghajini. They are suffering from memory loss. They have forgotten what they promised in the past (in the 2018 poll campaign) and have started lying afresh,” Mr Fadnavis claimed.

Mr Fadnavis claimed the Baghel government helped in the making of fake holograms, that are put on liquor bottles, and earned Rs 2,000 crore, which is now being invested in the elections.

“People are asking about the Congress’ promise of prohibition but they (party) don’t remember it anymore. The Congress promised to start an air ambulance, but are unable to run normal ambulance services,” he said.

Referring to the alleged PSC (Public Service Commission) scam, Mr Fadnvais taunted that Chhattisgarh is the first state where one needs to be the children of politicians and bureaucrats to get jobs.

“We had heard someone had consumed chara (fodder) in Bihar. But in Chhattisgarh they consumed ‘gobar’,” he said targeting the Baghel government over alleged corruption in the cow dung procurement scheme.

“Modi government had launched welfare schemes for the poor but the Baghel government stopped the construction of houses for them. They (Congress government) claim they will bring new schemes for the construction of houses, which is never going to happen,” he added.

On Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s promise of giving subsidy of Rs 500 on LPG in Chhattisgarh, Mr Fadnvais said the “Modi ji is already giving subsidy of Rs 400”.

They (Congress) procure paddy from farmers for which they take Rs 2200 (per quintal) from the Narendra Modi government but then take credit for the entire procurement, Mr Fadnavis alleged.

Earlier, Mr Fadnavis addressed an election rally in Dhamtari city and accused the Baghel government of indulging in scams.

Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17, while results will be declared on December 3.

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

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will not be disqualified and in case that happens, he will be elected as an MLC and will retain his post.

The Supreme Court on October 17 granted state assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar a final opportunity to give it a realistic time-frame for deciding the cross-petitions filed by rival factions of the Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of each other’s MLAs following a split in the party last year.

The top court is scheduled to hear on Monday pleas filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar bloc of the NCP, seeking a direction to Narwekar to expeditiously decide disqualification petitions against some MLAs.

Speaking to TV9 Marathi channel on Saturday, Mr Fadnavis said, “The first thing is that Shinde will not get disqualified. Even if he gets disqualified, we will get him elected to the legislative council and he will retain the chief minister’s post. The next election is going to be contested under his leadership only.” 

The top court had earlier come down hard on the state assembly speaker over the delay in deciding the pleas filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction for disqualification of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and several MLAs loyal to him, saying the speaker cannot defeat the orders of the top court.

Similar disqualification petitions have also been filed by the Shinde bloc against lawmakers owing allegiance to Thackeray.

On September 18, the top court directed the speaker to spell out the timeline for adjudication of the disqualification petitions against Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs owing allegiance to him who had tied up with the BJP to form a new government in June 2022.

The court had asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to apprise the bench of the time schedule to be fixed by the speaker for deciding the pleas for disqualification of 56 MLAs including lawmakers belonging to the Shinde faction.

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