IPS officer had no authority to let Wadhawans travel: Report

A probe commissioned by state home minister Anil Deshmukh found that senior IPS officer Amitabh Gupta had no authority to issue letter to Diwan Housing Finance Limited

A probe commissioned by state home minister Anil Deshmukh found that senior IPS officer Amitabh Gupta had no authority to issue letter to Diwan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL) promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan to let them travel despite lockdown restrictions on humanitarian grounds.

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The officer admitted that he had issued the letter to the Wadhwans. Deshmukh on Sunday confirmed that the report on the issue by Manoj Saunik, additional chief secretary, finance, has been submitted to the government.

The report also states that Gupta admitted that he was not under any political pressure as suspected by the opposition parties. The report also found that the senior official had exceeded his jurisdiction and had no authority to issue such a letter. It, however, stated that a malafide intention could not be established as it needs further probe by a proper investigation agency. Even if the state government accepts his explanation a warning should be issued to check the background of the individual before extending such help in future.

“We have received the probe report and it was found that Amitabh Gupta has admitted issuing the letter on his own. He has also said that he was not under pressure from anyone. The report will now be sent to the chief minister for further action,” Deshmukh said on Sunday.

Gupta, who was serving the state home department as principal secretary (special), was sent on compulsory leave on April 10 after it came to light that he had issued a letter to aid Wadhawan brothers, accused by the CBI and their families to travel to Mahabaleshwar amidst the lockdown.

“Amitabh Gupta has accepted the letter was issued by him and he should not have issued it but he said it was done on humanitarian grounds. The IPS officer has also said that the letter was issued based on an application in which Wadhawan had said they were stuck in a rented guesthouse in Lonavla and wanted to go back to their own house in Mahabaleshwar. Gupta clarified before the probe panel that his letter was not a directive to any authority and it was given only to facilitate the travel as per the discretion of the local authorities,” said a senior official.

A fact-finding committee under senior bureaucrat Manoj Saunik was constituted to investigate the matter.

Police had detained 23 people, including DHFL promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhwan, for violating prohibitory orders of the nationwide lockdown. Kapil and Dheeraj are accused in DHFL scam and had been issued non-bailable warrants by the CBI. The family, along with other outsiders, had travelled from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar in their cars even when the borders of Satara and Pune districts were sealed.

The home minister also said the report will be made public soon.