Patil announces probe against IPS officer over land deals

 Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil today announced that a high level inquiry would be conducted into allegations about a senior IPS officer amassing massive wealth, much of it through land deals.

Patil made the announcement while replying to a query by Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse, who claimed that while Krishna Prakash, now Additional Commissioner of police in Mumbai, was serving as SP, he had amassed large property.

While he was SP at Ahmednagar, the IPS officer bought two acre land there, three acre at Shirdi and also flats in Pune and Mumbai, Khadse alleged.

Krishna Prakash misused his position in these transactions, the BJP leader said and sought to know if he had obtained permission of the state government before buying the property.

Devendra Fadnavis of BJP said the state government was just whiling away time in pretext of inquiry against the IPS officer. "How could he get land near Shirdi airport for a mere one lakh, when the market rate was Rs 30 lakh," he said. The officer should be suspended, he added.

Patil said the inquiry would be conducted by additional DG level officer. The probe would be completed in three months and the report tabled in the House, he said