Dilip Walse Patil named new home minister of Maharashtra, hours after Anil Deshmukh quits

Anil Deshmukh's resignation came a day after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI inquiry into the corruption allegations levelled against him.

File photo

New Delhi: Maharashtra Minister for Labour and Excise Dilip Walse Patil’s has been declared as the Home Minister on Monday (April 5) after the resignation of Anil Deshmukh.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh's resignation from the post has triggered a fresh wave of turmoil in the ruling party. However, the NCP already had a leader lined up to replace Deshmukh.

Deshmukh, who is facing allegations of corruption levelled by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, had tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

These developments came after Bombay High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to start a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into corruption allegations against Deshmukh by the former Mumbai Police Commissioner.

The court also directed the agency to register an FIR if any cognizable offence is found. The court also stated that Anil Deshmukh is the Home Minister and an impartial probe should be done by the police.

In his plea, Param Bir Singh repeated the graft allegations that he had made against Deshmukh in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and also accused the Maharashtra Home Minister of interfering in police investigations and involving in severe "malpractices".

Singh had earlier written a letter to Thackeray alleging that Deshmukh had indulged in 'malpractices' and asked suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crores every month.