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Travel nod to Wadhawans: Shiv Sena trains guns at former chief minister Fadnavis
In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena called it part of a “conspiracy”, which could not succeed.
The Shiv Sena on Monday targeted former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over the controversy involving permission given to DHFL scam accused Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan to travel during 21-day lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19.
In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena said that IPS officer Amitabh Gupta, who gave permission to Wadhawans to travel to a hill station amid lockdown, was appointed in the state Home department by Fadnavis.
“He must have trusted the efficiency of Gupta before appointing him into the Home department. It is now clear and self-explanatory who has been actually behind Gupta’s decision and on whose instructions he would have put the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government into a crisis,” the editorial in Saamana said.
“It is the same officer (Gupta), appointed by previous chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has created trouble for the state government by favouring the Wadhawan family,” it further said.
The Sena editorial also called it part of a “conspiracy”, which could not succeed.
After Gupta allegedly gave the Wadhawans a letter which facilitated their travel to Mahabaleshwar hill station in Satara district last week, Fadnavis had said, “It is not possible a senior IPS officer would do such gross mistake knowing the consequences on his own.”
Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan, accused in Deewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL) scam, are under the scanner in the Yes Bank and Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank scams.
The CBI registered an offence against the Wadhawan brothers, Yes Bank’s then Managing Director and CEO Rana Kapoor and others on March 7.
Since then Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan were absconding, news agency PTI quoted a CBI official as saying.
The Wadhawan family travelled to Mahabaleshwar, bypassing sealed district borders aided by a letter given by Gupta on his letterhead as the principal secretary (special), Home department.
The letter issued by Gupta stated, “This is to just inform you that following are known to me as they are my family friends and travelling from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar for family emergency. Particulars of the cars are as given below.” The letter signed by Gupta concluded, “Hence you are here by informed through this letter to cooperate with them to reach their destination.” The letter also had the number of five vehicles and 23 names from the family and friends.
Gupta has been sent on complusory leave, and the state government has initiated a probe in the matter.