Senior IPS officer and Principal Secretary (Home) Amitabh Gupta on Friday found himself in deep trouble, as an embarrassed Uddhav Thackeray Government sent him on ‘compulsory leave’ for allowing the scam-tainted Wadhawan brothers and their family members to travel from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar on Wednesday during the ongoing lockdown period.
On a day when the Opposition BJP made an issue and demanded the resignation of State Home Minister Amit Deshmukh over the “safe passage” given by Gupta to Wadhwan family members, Deshmukh announced that the Principal Secretary (Home) on “compulsory leave” pending an inquiry to be initiated against the latter.
“As per discussion with CM (Uddhav Thackeray), Amitabh Gupta, has been sent on compulsory leave with immediate effect, till the pending of enquiry, which will be initiated against him,” Deshmukh tweeted earlier in the day.
Later talking to media persons, Deshmukh said: “Apart from sending Mr Gupta on compulsory leave, we have asked senior IAS officer and Additional chief Secretary (Finance) Additional Chief Secretary Manoj Sonic to conduct an inquiry into the misuse of office allegedly indulged by Mr Gupta. Similarly, we have registered an offence under sections 188, 269, 270, 34 of IPC and section 51 (B)of Disaster Management Act and section 11 of Maharashtra Covid-19 Regulations”.
Twenty three members of Wadhawan were detained by the police at Panchgani on Thursday night while travelling in five cars from Khandala to another hill station of Mahabaleswar in Satara district of western Maharashtra. They were carrying with them a “To whomsoever it may concern” issued to them by Gupta on his personal head, permitting the Wadhawans and others to cross from Khandala in Pune to Mahabaleshwar in Satara.
“This is to just inform you that following are well known to me as they are my family friends and travelling from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar for family emergency… Hence you are here by informed through this letter to co-operate with them to reach their destination,” Gupta’s letter read.
Gupta’s letter listed the registration numbers of all the five vehicles and the names of all the family members, friends, and others who were planning to travel in each of the vehicles for the unspecified ‘family emergency’.
The Wadhawan brothers are linked to the Yes Bank and Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank scams. The large family owns the troubled entities - HDIL real estate development company and DHFL financial management company.
After the letter issued by Gupta went viral on social on Thursday night, former chief minister and leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP made an issue of the “safe passage” given to the Wadhawan. “No lockdowns for mighty & rich in Maharashtra? One can spend holidays in Mahabaleshwar with official permission from police. It is not possible that a senior IPS officer would do such gross mistake knowing the consequences on his own,” Fadnavis tweeted.
Former BJP MP Kirit Somaya also upped the ante, by saying: “The Wadhawan Brothers who are on Bail in DHFL/Yes Bank Fraud Case are given VVIP treatment/passes by Maharashtra government to travel from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar in convoy,”
He sent a letter to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking an investigation into the incident. He lodged a complaint against Principal Home Srecrerary Amitabh Gupta with the Mulund police.
Meanwhile, rubbishing the allegations made by Somaiya, NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said that Somaiya has been talking a lot about the Wadhawan issue.
“We must all remember that Somaiya is known for his frivolous statements and was denied a candidature of his party for the same. One must not pay attention to his irresponsible, unsubstantiated talks. IPS and IAS officers come under the ambit of the PMO. If the Central government wishes to take action against Amitabh Gupta, they are free to do so. We will welcome the same, Malik said.
In a related development, the CBI issued a statement saying: “On 09.04.2020, an information was received by CBI that both the accused were located in District Satara and lodged at a Government Institutional Quarantine Centre at Panchgani.
Thereafter, an email has been immediately sent to DM and SP of District Satara(Maharashtra) for not releasing them without NOC from CBI or order of the Court and taking other necessary steps to prevent the accused persons from absconding”
The CBI had registered a case (RC 219 2020 E0004, EO-I, CBI, New Delhi) on March 7, 2020, in which Kapil Wadhawan, Dheeraj Wadhawan, Rana Kapoor (the then MD & CEO of Yes Bank) and others were accused. Both accused Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan were absconding since beginning of the investigation.