CBI takes over probe into extortion allegations against Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan

On the recommendations of the Maharashtra Government, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has re-registered a case against BJP leader Girish Mahajan and 28 others. Mahajan and 28 others were booked by the Pune police last year for extortion and assault based on a complaint lodged by the Director of an educational institute in Jalgaon district.

The Maharashtra home department, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had recommended a CBI probe against Mahajan on July 22 which was forwarded to the agency by the Department of Personnel and Training on September 2.

Following the procedure, the CBI has re-registered the FIR lodged earlier by the Jalgaon police and later, taken over by the Pune Police on January 5 last year, agency officials said.

"On the recommendation of the Maharashtra government the CBI has taken over the case and we will now look into the allegations made in the FIR," said a CBI official.

The FIR was transferred to Pune because the alleged crime had taken place in Pune. The case was filed against 29 people, including Mahajan, on the complaint of Vijay Patil, a director of the Jalgaon Jilha Maratha Vidya Prasarak Sahakari Samaj.

Patil told police that in 2018, he and his colleague had gone to Pune to collect old records of the institute from its former secretary Tanaji Bhoite on the instruction of his elder brother Narendra Patil, who was the chairman of the institute.

While they were in Pune, Nilesh Bhoite, one of the persons named as an accused in the FIR, allegedly told Patil to hand over the institute to him as Mahajan was interested in it.

He also made a video call to Mahajan, who allegedly told Patil to ask all directors to submit their resignations and hand over the reins to Nilesh Bhoite.

The accused offered Patil Rs 1 crore, but when he declined, he was allegedly taken to a flat in the Sadashiv Peth area, where one of the accused hit him in the head and threatened him at knife-point.

Mahajan had denied all allegations and dubbed it "vendetta politics".