MVA partners worried over fate of Chandiwal Committee’s outcome as SC allows CBI probe against Deshmukh

The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi partners are worried over the fate and the outcome of a one-member committee headed by a retired high court Kailas Chandiwal to inquire corruption charges against former home minister Anil Deshmukh. This is especially after the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the appeals made by the state government and former home minister Anil Deshmukh against the Bombay High Court order on a preliminary probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the corruption charges levelled by the former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.

None of the senior MVA ministers were ready to speak on the record, a senior minister, on a condition of anonymity, told Free Press Journal, "With today’s Supreme Court the focus will now be on the CBI probe while the Chandiwal committee’s functioning will not hog the headlines. Had the state government appointed the judicial commission under the provisions of Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 before Singh had filed the petition in the apex court and later PIL in the Bombay High Court the SC ruling could have been different. CBI team has already started its investigation while it is yet to know whether Chandiwal committee has begun its probe.’’ The minister said BJP will take full advantage of the situation to step up attack against the MVA government with the possible new exposes during the CBI probe.

Another minister said the Chandiwal committee has no powers to summon and enforce the attendance of any per­son, and examine him or her on oath. "However, CBI will summon Deshmukh, other ministers, police officers, and associates of politicians during the probe as witnessed during the probe in connection with the Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput death case,’’ he noted.

The minister said if the high court allows CBI to extend the probe after the preliminary inquiry then it will overshadow the Chandiwal committee’s probe.