Maharashtra government and Anil Deshmukh will be separately approaching the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court order on a preliminary probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into corruption charges against Deshmukh, government sources told The Free Press Journal.
For the uninitiated, the Bombay HC on Monday asked the CBI to start a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into corruption allegations against Anil Deshmukh by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. The court was hearing a plea of the petitioner Dr Jaishri Patil regarding the matter.
"Bombay High Court has asked the CBI director to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 15 days and to register an FIR if any cognizable offence is found," petitioner Dr Jaishri Patil told the mediapersons.
Later, Deshmukh resigned from the post of Home Minister. He submitted his resignation letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. He also tweeted a copy of the letter, in which he said the High Court had passed an order for a preliminary probe by the CBI into the petition filed by advocate Jayshri Patil into the allegations. "I don't have the moral right to continue in office after the court order.I have decided to quit. Kindly relieve me from my post," Deshmukh's resignation letter said.
After the court order, Deshmukh met NCP president Sharad Pawar and expressed his desire to step down as he felt it was inappropriate to continue in office after the CBI steps in, Nawab Malik said. "Deshmukh went to hand over the letter to Thackeray after Pawar gave his "green signal" to quit," Malik added.
Meanwhile, there is speculation that senior NCP leader Dilip Walse Patil may get the Home portfolio.
