SC to hear Deshmukh plea against Bombay HC's CBI probe order

The Supreme Court on Thursday will hear the petition filed by former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, challenging the Bombay High Court order directing for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s preliminary probe against him.

The Supreme Court on Thursday will hear the petition filed by former Maharashtra Home Minister l Deshmukh, challenging the Bombay High Court order directing for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s preliminary probe against him.

Deshmukh had filed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the apex court, challenging April 5 Bombay High Court's order.

A day after the high court ordered a preliminary probe by the CBI into the alleged corruption charges by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, the Maharashtra government and Deshmukh filed separate petitions against the high court's order in the Supreme Court.

The state government, in its special leave petition, has argued that the high court had passed the order on Monday on the merits of the petition while the case was listed for hearing on maintainability.

They further noted that there were neither pleadings nor facts before the high court to defend a probe by the CBI.

Deshmukh has claimed that it was for the first time in the history of the Indian judiciary that corruption charges against a sitting minister were taken at face value.

The high court had ordered a preliminary probe by an 'outside agency' without seeking a response from him, he said.

Deshmukh has tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday.

( With inputs from ANI )