The allegations surfaced in 2021 after former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh claimed in a letter to the then Chief Minister that Mr. Deshmukh had instructed police officers to collect Rs 100 crore a month from bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai.
Mumbai: Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh has approached the Governor, seeking immediate intervention over the state government's failure to release the Justice K.U. Chandiwal Commission report. The high-level commission was appointed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led government to investigate the Rs 100-crore extortion allegations levelled against Mr. Deshmukh.
The allegations surfaced in 2021 after former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh claimed in a letter to the then Chief Minister that Mr. Deshmukh had instructed police officers to collect Rs 100 crore a month from bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai. Mr. Deshmukh denied the allegations, which subsequently became the subject of investigations by central agencies and the state-appointed commission.
Mr. Deshmukh described the continued non-disclosure of the commission's report as a “murder of natural justice” and accused the administration of deliberately suppressing findings that have a direct bearing on his legal and personal rights.
Headed by retired High Court judge Justice K.U. Chandiwal, the commission was tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the allegations and determining whether any evidence supported the claims made against the former minister. After a 13-month inquiry, it submitted its 1,400-page final report to the government on April 26, 2022.
Mr. Deshmukh said that despite writing 11 letters to the Chief Minister and repeatedly pursuing the matter with the Principal Secretary and other senior officials, the report has remained confidential for more than four years. He argued that withholding the findings undermines governmental transparency and raises questions about the handling of the investigation.
In his memorandum to the Governor, Mr. Deshmukh made four key demands. He urged the Maharashtra government to immediately make the commission's report public and sought official access to its findings and recorded evidence, citing his direct involvement in the case.
He also called for an independent inquiry into the reasons for withholding the report for four years. Finally, he urged the Governor to exercise constitutional powers to ensure transparency and accountability in the administration.
The demand comes amid continuing political debate over the allegations that led to Mr. Deshmukh’s resignation as Home Minister in April 2021. The contents of the Chandiwal Commission report have not been made public by successive state governments.
