NASHIK/PUNE: Nashik city police commissioner Deepak Pandey has set up a three-member panel of officers of the rank of deputy commissioner of police (DCP) to inquire into the allegations of corruption and bribery levelled by a suspended motor vehicle (MV) inspector from the Nashik regional transport office (RTO) against state transport minister Anil Parab, transport commissioner Avinash Dhakne and five other senior department officials.
Parab and Dhakne have termed the allegations as “baseless, motivated and aimed at “maligning” the department’s image and demoralizing the staff.
Gajendra T Patil, the MV inspector from Nashik RTO who was placed under suspension on January 20 over charges of alleged corruption, e-mailed his complaint application against Parab, Dhakne and the five others to the Panchavati police station on May 16 with copies to the Nashik police chief, the DG of the state anti-corruption bureau, central probe agencies like the CBI and the ED and the state deputy chief minister seeking registration of an FIR under the provisions of various acts.
In his complaint application, Patil has prima facie accused a senior official from the RTO, Wardha, of being the “kingpin behind a syndicate operating in the transport department.
” Patil alleged that there was “rampant corruption” in transfers and postings “with multiple crores of rupees collected and distributed among a chain of individuals from top to bottom”.
Further, he alleged corruption in the functioning of border checkposts, settlement of cases against transport owners and illegal registration of BS-4 vehicles even after the March 31, 2020, cut-off date set by the Supreme Court.
Taking prima facie cognizance of the complaint application, Nashik police chief Pandey passed an order on Thursday setting up the inquiry panel under DCP (crime) Sanjay Barkhud with DCPs Amol Tambe and Vijay Kharat being the other members.
“I have asked the panel to submit its report to me within the next five days.
But, if needed, it will be allowed to take a few more days to complete the inquiry,” Pandey told TOI on Friday.
Pandey said the Panchavati police had called Patil to the police station on May 27, but he did not come.
“Still, we have decided to inquire into his complaint,” the police chief said.
Patil told TOI, “I have said whatever I wanted to in my complaint application mailed to the police.
I have nothing further to say on the issue at this juncture.
” When contacted, Parab told TOI, “The allegations stem from a political vendetta against me to tarnish my image.
Patil has been suspended since there were several charges against him.
Just like in the case of former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, there is an attempt to somehow demand a CBI investigation against me.
”