Police officer Sachin Waze being taken to a court by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a hearing.
In the wake of allegations made by dismissed Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze regarding bribery, former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh responded emphatically, asserting that Waze is merely following the directives of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Waze claimed to have submitted a letter detailing supposed bribes linked to Deshmukh from the time the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power.
Deshmukh, addressing the allegations during a statement in Nagpur, stated, “The claims made by Sachin Waze echo accusations he and Param Bir Singh raised three years ago under the influence of Devendra Fadnavis. I had previously requested a thorough investigation, which led to an in-depth inquiry by Justice Chandiwal of the High Court. This resulted in a comprehensive 1,400-page report which cleared my name two years ago; however, Fadnavis has yet to disclose this report to the public. I urge him to release it.”
He further commented, “Fadnavis has once again employed Sachin Waze to launch baseless accusations against me. It is well-known that Waze faces serious charges, including involvement in a terrorist case and two murder investigations. It’s rather surprising that Fadnavis is depending on such a figure to make claims against me.”
On the same day, Waze, who is implicated in the high-profile bomb scare at Mukesh Ambani’s residence and the murder case of Mansukh Hiren, stated, “I have presented evidence and a letter addressed to Devendra Fadnavis, detailing the financial transactions routed through Deshmukh’s assistant. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is privy to this evidence, and I am prepared to undergo a narco-analysis test.”
In a subsequent response, Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule criticized Deshmukh, urging him to accept a narco test alongside Waze instead of deflecting blame to Devendra Fadnavis. “It appears that leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi are reluctant to be scrutinized, fearing exposure of their corruption,” Bawankule remarked.
Deshmukh previously faced significant legal challenges, spending months in jail after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2021 in connection with an alleged money laundering scheme. He was later arrested by the CBI amid accusations of corruption involving directives to police for collecting ₹100 crore monthly from bar owners. Deshmukh has since secured bail in this case.
