Mumbai: Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab on Saturday has strongly denied corruption charges levelled against him by a suspended motor vehicle inspector of the Nashik Regional Transport Office (RTO) Gajendra Patil terming them baseless and false. ‘’The officer, who was suspended in the wake of several complaints in the department, has conspired to defame me and the Maha Vikas Aghadi government by making vengeful and false charges,’’ said Parab.
‘’The allegations are politically motivated. In his complaint, the suspended officer has alleged that the state government cannot do anything to the ministers and by demanding a CBI inquiry through the High Court he is tarnishing the image of the government and the ministers. The Nashik Police is investigating Patil’s complaint and after the investigation, the truth will definitely come out before the people,’’ said Parab.
Parab’s statement came a day after the Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey ordered an inquiry into the allegations of corruption in transfers and postings against him and six officers on the complaint by Patil. In his complaint, Patil has mentioned the corruption to the tune of multiple crores in transfers and postings in the RTO department, he said. The complaint was filed by Patil, who is posted at the Nashik RTO, via an email sent to Panchavati police station in Nashik on May 16, the official said.
Patil also alleged corruption at border check posts, settlement of cases against some private operators and illegal registration of BS-4 vehicles, he said.
Last month, controversial Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze, now sacked from service, had alleged in a letter he sought to submit before a court that in January 2021, Anil Parab asked him to look into an inquiry against "fraudulent" contractors listed in the Mumbai civic body and collect at least Rs 2 crore from about 50 such contractors.
Parab, who is a close confidant of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, had rejected Waze''s claims and said he was ready to face any probe into the allegations.