Sachin Waze is following Devendra Fadnavis’s instructions: Anil Deshmukh

Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh responds to bribery allegations made by dismissed police officer Sachin Waze.

Following the allegations of accepting bribes made by the dismissed Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze on Saturday, the former Minister for Home Affairs, Government of Maharashtra and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) leader Anil Deshmukh on Sunday, said that Mr. Waze is just following Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s instructions.  

On Saturday, Mr. Waze claimed to have submitted a letter to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the alleged bribes accepted by Mr. Deshmukh, when Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was at the helm in the State. 

Refuting all the claims and allegations made by Mr. Waze, Mr. Deshmukh while speaking to a news agency in Nagpur, said, “The allegations made against me yesterday by Sachin Waze were also levelled by him and Param Bir Singh three years ago, at the behest of Devendra Fadnavis. When I was accused three years ago, I asked the Chief Minister to investigate the allegations. The Chief Minister assigned the task to Justice Chandiwal of the High Court. Justice Chandiwal conducted a detailed inquiry over 11 months, producing a 1,400-page report. The report was handed over to the government 2 years ago. I have been given a clean chit in that report. Because of this, Devendra Fadnavis is not making the report public. I urge him to make the 1,400-page report public.”  

He added, “Yesterday, Devendra Fadnavis again used Sachin Waze to level allegations against me. Everyone knows that Sachin Waze is accused in a terrorist case and two murder cases. He is in jail, and Fadnavis must rely on him to level allegations against me. It is surprising.”  

On Saturday, the dismissed police officer, who is the prime accused in Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, bomb scare, and Mansukh Hiren murder cases of 2021, said, “I have submitted a letter to Devendra Fadnavis written by me and the evidence associated with whatever has happened. The money used to get routed through his [Mr. Deshmukh’s] assistant. Even the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has related evidence, and I am ready to undergo narco analysis test as well.”  

Later in the day on Sunday, in response to the statements made by Mr. Deshmukh, Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule further criticised the minister and said, “My request to Anil Deshmukh is that Sachin Waze is ready for a narco test. Mr. Deshmukh should also express his willingness to undergo such an investigation instead of only discussing Devendra Fadnavis. It seems that none of the Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders can go without mentioning Devendra Fadnavis’s name. They fear their corruption will be exposed.” 

Mr. Deshmukh spent several months in jail after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2021 in an alleged money laundering case. Following that, the CBI had registered and arrested him in a corruption case against with allegations of directing police officers to collect ₹100 crore per month from bar owners, Mr. Deshmukh later secure bail in the case.