Maharashtra SIT to probe Dadra and Nagar Haveli MP Anil Deshmukh`s death

The Mumbai Police have registered an accidental death report after Mohan Delkar was found hanging from the ceiling fan of a private hotel at Marine Drive on February 22, sparking off a major controversy in the political circles.

Mumbai: Maharashtra will form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of Mohan Delkar, a seven-time MP from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh announced in the Assembly here on Tuesday. The Mumbai Police have registered an accidental death report after Delkar was found hanging from the ceiling fan of a private hotel at Marine Drive on February 22, sparking off a major controversy in the political circles.

Deshmukh`s significant announcement came a day after the Centre abruptly handed over the probe into the abandoned SUV Scorpio with 20 gelatin sticks found near the home of industrialist Mukesh Ambani to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Soon after that, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had termed the Centre`s move as "something fishy" and simultaneously announced that the state government would get to the bottom of Delkar`s suicide.

Deshmukh further informed that Delkar`s widow, Kalaben Delkar, and son Abhinav had requested him and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to conduct a thorough investigation, even as BJP Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis slammed the government for "gloating" over the MP coming to Mumbai to end his life.

Earlier, Congress and Shiv Sena had demanded a full-fledged investigation into Delkar`s suicide and claimed that he took the extreme step in Mumbai as he had faith that he could get justice from the MVA government.

In a suicide note left behind by Delkar, he had named Praful K Patel, the Administrator of the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and others for allegedly harassing him and trying to finish off his political career and other issues.

"He was a seven-time MP, who was being constantly harassed," Deshmukh added, saying the government will go deeply into the matter to reveal the culprits.

It may be recalled that at the start of the ongoing Budget session, CM Thackeray had solicited help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah if the Mumbai Police needed to go and probe the Independent MP`s case in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.