The Maharashtra government on Friday set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government conspired to register false criminal cases against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
According to a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the state Home Department, the SIT will be led by Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary.
Allegations of political vendetta
Fadnavis, who assumed office for the third time after the Mahayuti coalition’s victory in November 2024, served as Leader of Opposition during the MVA rule from November 2019 to June 2022. Shinde, then a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led cabinet, later rebelled and formed a government with BJP support.
The SIT was formed based on claims made by BJP leader Pravin Darekar in the Maharashtra Legislative Council during the winter session in December 2024. Darekar alleged a conspiracy to implicate Fadnavis and Shinde in false cases and claimed to possess audio recordings as evidence.
SIT to submit report in 30 days
The four-member SIT includes Rajiv Jain (Deputy Inspector General, State Reserve Police Force), Navnath Dhavle (Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mumbai), and Adikrao Pol (Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mumbai). The team has been directed to complete its probe within 30 days.