Maharashtra govt junks ex-DGP Sanjay Pandey's inquiry report against IPS officer Deven Bharti

Sanjay Pandey. File Pic

The Maharashtra state government has rejected an inquiry report filed by former state DGP Sanjay Pandey against IPS officer Deven Bharti in connection with allegations made by convicted criminal Vijay Palande that Deven Bharti had links with underworld criminals.

Former DGP Sanjay Pandey was asked to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against IPS officer Deven Bharti. This was the second inquiry conducted by Pandey after a letter from the PA of the-then home minister Anil Deshmukh, was issued and its report was submitted recently, officials with Maharashtra Home Department said.

Palande had in the year 2018 made allegations against Deven Bharti that he had links with D-gang, and on the basis of the allegations, a probe was conducted and a report was sent to the then Director General of police and then additional chief secretary (home).

This first inquiry report was submitted in the year 2020 and the probe did not find Bharti guilty of underworld links, officials said.

But later, the PA of Anil Deshmukh (the then Home minister of Maharashtra) wrote a letter to DG (home guards) Sanjay Pandey and asked him to inquire into the allegations of Vijay Palande against Deven Bharti.

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Maharashtra Home Department confirmed to ANI that the second report submitted by Pandey has been rejected on grounds that "there is no merit in the allegations made by Palande and also that the law was not followed in the inquiry."

They said that submissions given by Deven Bharti have been accepted as an inquiry had already been conducted by Maharashtra Police, and the report was submitted to the then DGP which has not found any substance in Vijay Palande's allegations.

The second inquiry conducted by Sanjay Pandey was not ordered by the Maharashtra home department, but it was conducted after a letter from the PA of the then home minister Anil Deshmukh and the Maharashtra home department had no role in it, officials said.

Pandey is currently in judicial custody in a money laundering case by ED against him, while Palande is serving a life sentence for murder and other criminal charges.

Deven Bharti, an IPS officer, is posted as the additional director general of the Maharashtra State Security Corporation, said officials.

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