Maharashtra govt announces SIT probe in MP Mohan Delkar's death

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe the alleged suicide of Dadra Nagar Haveli MP Mohan Delkar in Mumbai last month.

The statement came amid the opposition BJP's demand of arrest of police officer Sachin Vaze in the case related to the death of Mansukh Hiran who was in possession of the SUV with explosives found outside Mukesh Ambani's house.

The unrelated but mysterious deaths of Delkar and Hiran rocked the house during the day, leading to several adjournments. Delkar, a seventerm Lok Sabha member from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, was found dead in a Mumbai hotel on February 22.

His suicide note mentioned administrator of the Union Territory PrafulKheda Patel, who was earlier a minister in the Narendra Modi-led cabinet in Gujarat, Deshmukh told the Assembly.

"In his suicide note, Delkar has said he was being harassed and was under pressure from Praful Patel who is the administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli," the minister said.

The suicide note also mentioned that he was getting threats from Patel that he will be "finished off " from social life, Deshmukh added. "Delkar's wife and son have also written to me voicing the same concerns," the NCP minister added.

Delkar had also stated that he was ending life in Mumbai as he had faith in Chief Minister

Uddhav Thackeray and the state government, Deshmukh added.

Earlier, IAS officer Rajesh Kumar Shrivastav from Madhya Pradesh had ended life in Nagpur as he felt that "he will not get justice in Raipur, in a BJP-ruled state", the minister said. BJP MLAs quickly pointed out that the officer was from Chhattisgarh.

"The home minister feels happy that people come to Maharashtra to commit suicide. He does not even know that Raipur is in Chhattisgarh and not in Madhya Pradesh," Leader of Opposition DevendraFadnavis said. Deshmukh said he had already corrected himself.

But not relenting, Fadnavis asked if it was a matter of pride that people came to Maharashtra to end life.