Amidst mounting criticism and sharp attacks from the BJP, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Friday sent a senior IPS officer on leave for allowing safe passage for the Wadhawan family to the hill station of Mahabaleshwar during the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.
As many as 23 members of the Wadhawan family, along with some close friends, were set on compulsory quarantine by the Satara police.
The Wadhawan family is linked to the Yes Bank and Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank scams.
The large family owns the troubled entities - HDIL real estate development company and DHFL financial management company.
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh immediately sent the officer, Amitabh Gupta, on compulsory leave.
Gupta is an officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police, who was currently posted as Principal Secretary (Home).
“As per discussion with chief minister, Amitabh Gupta has been sent on compulsory leave with immediate effect, till the pending of enquiry, which will be initiated against him,” Deshmukh tweeted.
The Wadhawans are based in Mumbai and it is surprising that they could cross the two districts of Mumbai city and Mumbai suburban, Raigad, Pune and reach Satara.
The permission – in the form of an open letter, ‘To Whomsoever It May Concern’ – was issued by Gupta on his personal letterhead on April 8, permitting the Wadhawans to move.
The matter sparked off a huge political storm late on Thursday with the BJP leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP vice president Kirit Somaiya, who is also the founder-president of Investors Grievances Forum, demanding a probe and Deshmukh’s resignation.
Deshmukh said the probe will also go into how the 23-member team managed to reach from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar.
Gupta’s letter said: “This is to just inform you that following are well known to me as they are my family friends and travelling from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar for family emergency… Hence you are hereby informed through this letter to co-operate with them to reach their destination.”
It listed the registration numbers of all the five vehicles and the names of all the family members, friends, and others who were planning to travel in each of the vehicles for the unspecified ‘family emergency’.
"No lockdowns for mighty & rich in Maharashtra? One can spend holidays in Mahabaleshwar with official permission from the police. It is not possible that a senior IPS officer would do such gross mistake knowing the consequences on his own," Fadnavis tweeted.
"With whose order or blessings was this done?" he asked and demanded an explanation from Thackeray and Deshmukh.
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