Maharashtra Home Minister Quits After HC Orders CBI Probe

Mumbai: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh resigned on Monday  citing “moral grounds”.

The resignation came hours after the Bombay High Court ordered the CBI to carry out a preliminary probe into former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s allegations of extortion and illegal transfers against him.

“I don’t want to continue as Home Minister as an investigation is on,” said the resignation letter of Deshmukh, who belongs to Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Deshmukh had rejected calls for his resignation for weeks, saying he had done nothing wrong. His party had also ruled out his exit and after several meetings, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena had also fallen in line despite a strain within the alliance.

Param Bir Singh, who was recently replaced as Mumbai Police chief, has alleged in a petition that Deshmukh targeted him because he had complained to the CM listing several allegations against the minister, including extortion and illegal transfers.

The High Court on Monday asked the CBI to investigate the allegations within 15 days. NDTV reported.