01 February,2025 08:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev Shivadekar
Satyanarayan Choudhary, joint commissioner of police (law and order). File pic
Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Satyanarayan Choudhary, has been assigned to lead a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged conspiracy by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to frame then Leader of Opposition, Devendra Fadnavis, during the MVA rule that lasted from November 2019 to June 2022.
According to sources in the Mantralaya, Choudhary, a senior IPS officer, has been asked to head the SIT and submit a detailed fact-finding report to the state government. The announcement to form the SIT was made in December 2024, during the state legislative session in Nagpur.
The issue was raised by BJP Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Pravin Darekar during the winter session, claiming that the MVA government had conspired to arrest Fadnavis. In his response, senior Cabinet Minister Shambhuraje Desai confirmed the decision to form an SIT to investigate the matter. Desai had assured that a senior IPS officer would oversee the probe and submit a report to the government.
Darekar, at the time, had further alleged that there were videos which exhibited that police officials were putting pressure on citizens to give false statements in order to implicate Fadnavis. Reacting to the formation of the SIT, an MVA leader, speaking anonymously, questioned the timing of the investigation.
ALSO READ
"Around three years ago, the MVA government was brought down, and the Mahayuti came to power under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. Why did Shinde, as then chief minister, or Fadnavis, who then held the home portfolio, not initiate a probe into these claims? Why is this coming up now? It appears to be another vindictive move by the ruling party to suppress the Opposition's voice," the leader remarked.
Despite making an attempt to reach Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional chief secretary - Home Department, for his version, there was no response to the text message sent to him.
