Chandiwal panel report be made public: Ex HM | Nagpur News

Nagpur: Former home minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday wrote to the governor Jishnu Dev Varma, requesting constitutional intervention to ensure the final report of Justice K U Chandiwal Commission is made public. The commission had examined Rs 100-crore corruption allegations against him, and Deshmukh said it’s a “murder of natural justice” to hold back the report for four years.In his letter to Raj Bhavan, Deshmukh said the state govt intentionally did not release the 1,400-page report submitted by the commission on April 26, 2022, following 13 months of inquiry. He said he sent 11 letters to the CM and repeatedly followed up with the principal secretary and department secretaries, yet the report was neither tabled in the legislature nor provided to him.Deshmukh said, “The probe was directly connected to my case. To keep me and the people of Maharashtra deprived of the truth in a case where I am the principal subject is a blow to foundational principles of natural justice.”The commission led by retired high court judge, KU Chandiwal, was set up by the state govt to carry out a detailed investigation into the corruption allegations against him. Deshmukh’s letter stated the govt has not revealed its content, clarified its stand on the findings or indicated what action it plans to take.Deshmukh said, “when a commission completes its inquiry and the report is kept secret indefinitely, the very purpose of the inquiry process is questionable. The lack of clarity raises doubts about transparency and intent of the govt.”He placed four demands before the governor — the state govt be instructed to publish the entire report without delay, the findings be formally shared with him as the person at the centre of the inquiry and an independent investigation be ordered into why the report was withheld for four years. He also requested the governor to use his special powers as the constitutional head to secure justice, transparency and accountability.