CBI will now expose extortion racket: Fadnavis on SC ruling

There was no point in Deshmukh going to the SC, he said

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that with the Supreme Court rejecting former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh's plea against the Bombay High Court order, the CBI will now investigate and expose the "extortion racket".

In a setback to the Uddhav Thackeray-led-Maharashtra government and former minister Deshmukh, the Supreme Court Thursday dismissed their pleas challenging the Bombay High Court order directing a CBI probe into allegations of corruption and misconduct levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis said, "The Bombay High Court had very clearly said that the allegations are such that the minister is under suspicion and this being a high profile case should be investigated by the CBI."

Also read: SC rejects Maharashtra govt, Anil Deshmukh's plea against Bombay HC order on CBI inquiry

"There was no point of him (Deshmukh) going to the SC, but he approached it nonetheless and the decision by the top court has given a befitting reply to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, who were commenting on this issue," he said.

"After the decision, the CBI will investigate this case and expose this extortion racket," he added.

Singh, in his plea filed on March 25, had sought a CBI probe against Deshmukh who, he claimed, had asked police officers, including suspended cop Sachin Waze, to extort Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants. Deshmukh has denied any wrongdoing.