COP GOT IPHONE 12 PRO AS BRIBE TO LEAK PROBE REPORT ON DESHMUKH: CBI

An iPhone 12 Pro, which costs more than Rs 1 lakh, was offered as bribe to a sub-inspector of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for accessing a confidential report on a corruption case in which former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh is an accused, the investigating agency said on Friday.

Abhishek Tiwari, a CBI sub-inspector, who has been arrested in the corruption case against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, received an iPhone 12 Pro and other expensive gifts from Deshmukh’s Advocate Anand Daga as a bribe to pass investigation details of the case, said an FIR copy.

Anand Daga, Deshmukh’s advocate, has been arrested along with Tiwari in the same case.

“Anand Daga is the advocate of Anil Deshmukh, the then Home Minister of Maharashtra, an accused in the CBI case. Abhishek Tiwari had visited Pune in connection with the investigation of the instant case. It has been learned that Advocate Anand Daga met Abhishek Tiwari and handed over an iPhone 12 Pro as illegal gratification to him in lieu of passing details regarding the said enquiry and the investigation, thereby causing improper performance of public duty. It has also been reliably learned that he had been obtaining illegal gratification from Daga at regular intervals,” stated the FIR.

It also mentioned that a team of officers led by the Enquiry Officer R.S. Gunjiyal, DSP along with the suspect Tiwari, left for Mumbai on April 6 for conducting an enquiry in the matter against Deshmukh.

During the probe, the team members examined many witnesses including Deshmukh on 14 April and the report was submitted later. “Abhishek Tiwari assisted the EO in preparation of the said report and had been in possession of case-sensitive documents. Pursuant to the comments and opinions of senior officers including legal officers and after the approval of the competent authority, an FIR was registered against Anil Deshmukh, the then Home Minister of Maharashtra, and unknown others. The investigation of the said case is under progress,” stated the FIR.

As per the FIR, it has been reliably learned that the copies of the confidential documents pertaining to the enquiry and the investigation have been disclosed to unauthorised persons. “It has been reliably learned that Tiwari came in contact with Daga, a Nagpur-based advocate during the course of the enquiry, and had been in regular contact with him since then,” it said.