Court orders cops to probe former CM

MUMBAI: A local court recently ordered the local police to conduct a detailed inquiry against Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for allegedly misusing his position as the state's chief minister to protect an MLA's kin involved in a money-lending racket in Vidarbha from prosecution. The apex court, on November 3, 2011, criticized Deshmukh for abusing his constitutional position in this instance.
The court directed the Marine Drive police to investigate the matter and file a report before it by April 16.
A social activist, Abdul Malik Choudhary, had filed an application in the metropolitan magistrate's court seeking a probe and filing of an FIR against Deshmukh, Congress MLA Dilipkumar Sananda and his father Gokulchand Sananda. Choudhary's lawyer Ashish Giri said, "We moved the magistrate's court by filing a private complaint."Farmers from Buldana moved the Bombay High Court complaining that the police refused to register a case against Dilipkumar related to money lending transactions. They alleged that Deshmukh's personal secretary called the police superintendent asking him not to register complaints. On June 1, 2006 Deshmukh allegedly summoned the district collector of Buldana, to instruct him "to specially treat any complaints filed against Dilipkumar and his family."
The HC imposed costs of Rs 25,000 which the state challenged in the apex court. The SC on December 14, 2010 slapped costs of Rs 10 lakh on the state government after it dismissed the state's appeal against the HC's Nagpur bench's order.