Anil Deshmukh's lawyer arrested for ‘trying to subvert probe’ against him

New Delhi, September 2

The CBI has arrested former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh’s lawyer, Anand Daga, for allegedly trying to subvert the Bombay High Court-directed preliminary enquiry against the ex-minister, officials said on Thursday.

The agency had brought Daga, who was arrested in Mumbai, to Delhi on a transit remand, they said.

The advocate would be produced before a competent court along with arrested CBI sub-inspector Abhishek Tiwari, who was taken into custody on Wednesday night for allegedly receiving bribe from Daga, they said.

In its FIR, the CBI had booked Daga and Tiwari in the case, they said.

“The CBI has registered a case against its sub-inspector, a Nagpur-based advocate and unidentified others on certain allegations, including illegal gratification. During the investigation of the case, the CBI has arrested the sub-inspector. The said advocate is being questioned. Searches were conducted in Allahabad and Delhi,” CBI spokesperson RC Joshi had said.

A report of the preliminary enquiry purportedly giving clean chit to Deshmukh was leaked on Saturday night causing embarrassment to the agency.

The CBI started a probe into the leakage in which it emerged that findings of the PE were influenced.

“Attempt of Anil Deshmukh’s team were in contempt of the Bombay High Court which had directed that all concerned should fully cooperate with the CBI while conducting the PE. In this case it has appeared that Deshmukh’s team tried to subvert the PE,” an official told PTI.

Their attempt could not succeed as there is a procedure in the CBI in which evidences on record and legal opinion is also taken on record before the registration of the FIR, he said.

“They could not influence people at higher level,” he said.

The CBI had started a PE on the orders of the Bombay High Court which had issued the direction while hearing a public interest litigation on allegations of corruption against Deshmukh. PTI