Home minister pressuring SIT: Opp

Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Nitin Gadkari today alleged that State Home Minister R.R. Patil was pressuri...

Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Nitin Gadkari today alleged that State Home Minister R.R. Patil was pressuring the Special Investigation Team (SIT) by issuing statements questioning its style of functioning.

The Home minister is mounting pressure on SIT which resulted in the team questioning former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal at the SRPF camp in Goregaon and not at the SIT office at Worli yesterday, Gadkari, a BJP leader, told reporters here.

Patil had earlier too publicly expressed his dissatisfaction over the style of functioning of SIT which was unjust, Gadkari said Gadkari said he would soon be visiting the petitioners who have filed a PIL to question the propriety of summoning Bhujbal at Goregaon and not at the SIT office.

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After deferring the interrogation of the former deputy chief minister twice, SIT finally questioned Bhujbal for nearly six hours at the remote SRPF grounds in Goregoan yesterday.

According to sources, the venue was intentionally changed in order to avoid media attention and potential law and order problems due to large-scale presence of NCP workers outside the SIT office at Worli.

Bhujbal was questioned by SIT chief S.S. Puri in the presence of three police officers of the rank of deputy inspector general — Subodh Jaiswal, Hemant Nagrale and Sanjay Barve — in connection with the transfers of policemen during his tenure.

SIT wanted to know whether Bhujbal knew about the officials in administration and the Police Department being hand in glove with prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi, said sources. SIT suspects that Telgi influenced politicians to transfer police personnel of his choice to prime posts. The questioning focused on whether Bhujbal was aware of any such racket operating in the Mantralaya.

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Another set of questions related to the clean chit given to former Mumbai police commissioner R.S. Sharma.

Bhujbal was also quizzed about his links with businessman Antim Totla and his nephew Sameer’s role in police transfers.

‘‘They asked me questions on several issues and I replied them,’’ Bhujbal said yesterday.

The former deputy chief minister said that he told SIT officials that they were conducting a one-sided investigation into the scam. ‘‘I also handed over evidence in support of my claims,’’ Bhujbal said yesterday.

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Asked whether he would be called in for interrogation again, Bhujbal said: ‘‘The SIT has not invited me.’’