Principal secretary sent on leave by Maharashtra government for allowing DHFL scam accused to travel

The state government on Friday sent principal secretary Amitabh Gupta on compulsory leave, a day after it came to light that his letter helped 23 people, Dewan Housing

The state government on Friday sent principal secretary Amitabh Gupta on compulsory leave, a day after it came to light that his letter helped 23 people, Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL) scam accused Wadhawan family and their friends, travel to Mahabaleshwar amid national lockdown. The police have booked the 23, including Kapil Wadhawan, a promoter of DHFL, and Dheeraj Wadhawan, former executive director of DHFL, and put them in “institutional quarantine”, even as the incident led to a blame game between political parties.

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Sources said the Wadhawans were staying in a rented accommodation in Khandala, a hill station around 80km from Mumbai, from where they were asked to vacate. They decided to move to their farmhouse in Mahabaleshwar, also a hill station around 220km from Mumbai. The Wadhawan family could bypass the sealed district borders and travel from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar thanks to the letter by Gupta on his letterhead as the principal secretary (special), home department. According to officials in Satara collectorate, locals from Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani objected to allowing them to stay in their farm house or keep them under quarantine at Panchgani facility, which unearthed the violation.

As the letter was leaked, home minister Anil Deshmukh announced a probe on Thursday night. Gupta was summoned by chief secretary Ajoy Mehta on Thursday night and the home minister on Friday morning. He has reportedly admitted to giving the letter to the Wadhawans. Gupta reportedly tried to convince the home minister and the chief secretary that the wrong letter was sent out by his personal secretary to Wadhawans. He reportedly told his political bosses that the second letter had the words ‘they are my family friends’ removed from the draft. “He did not say whether he was pressurised to do so,’’ said a senior bureaucrat. Gupta was not available for a comment.

On Friday, Deshmukh tweeted, “As per discussion with Hon CM, Mr Amitabh Gupta, Principal Secretary (special), has been sent on compulsory leave with immediate effect, till the pending inquiry, which will be initiated against him.”

The state has ordered an inquiry by additional chief secretary (finance) Manoj Saunik, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have written to the authorities in Satara to restrain any further movement of Dheeraj and Kapil Wadhawan. Tejaswi Satpute, superintendent of police, Satara, said that all the 23 members of the family are under “institutional quarantine” for a stipulated period of 14 days. “The CBI learned that both the accused were located in Satara and lodged at a government institutional quarantine centre at Panchgani. Thereafter, an email was sent to the district magistrate and superintendent of police of district Satara to not release them without a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the CBI or an order of the court,” a CBI spokesperson said. “Even after the issuance of notices and non-bailable warrants, they have not appeared before CBI or the court.” In March, the ED, too, had issued multiple summons to Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan over money laundering charges in Yes Bank case. The brothers had mentioned Covid-19 pandemic as one of the reasons they are not travelling. The ED said the cars too are proceeds of the crime and should be seized. “The agencies have told us that the two are accused in their cases. We will provide assistance,” said Satpute.

The Satara police have filed an FIR was filed against the 23 people under sections 188 (disobeying government direction), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code, along with Epidemic Act.

The controversy is said to have damaged the image of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said: “Thackeray should tell the people of Maharashtra that under whose pressure the letter was issued.” BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged that Wadhawan family had close ties with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and other leaders of the party. Deshmukh and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad rubbished the allegations. Maharashtra Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “We suspect that the permission given to Wadhwans was at the behest of some BJP leader as the family has been very close to the party.”