Satara SP on leave to ensure enquiry into ministers’ allegation of high-handedness is not affected: CM

Kolhapur: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said on Monday that Satara district superintendent of police (SP) Tushar Doshi has proceeded on leave so that the preliminary inquiry initiated by the govt into the allegations by two ministers of alleged police high-handedness during the March 20 polls for Zilla Parishad president and vice-president posts, is not affected.Fadnavis had announced in the State Assembly that an enquiry into the allegations by ministers Shambhuraj Desai and Makarand Patil that policemen in plain clothes beat them up, detained and stopped two NCP councillors from voting to ensure that the BJP's nominees won the two posts despite the Shiv Sena-NCP alliance in the ZP having a majority. The detention of the two NCP councillors reduced the alliance's strength and paved the way for the BJP nominees' win.Deputy CM Eknath Shinde had called Satara ZP issue a ‘murder of democracy' and had claimed that it happened despite his calling the state's top cop Sadanand Date and an assurance from SP Tushar Doshi. The ministers had demanded the suspension of Doshi.Deputy chairperson of legislative council Neelam Gorhe directed the govt to suspend the SP, but the directive has been kept on hold for final hearing by chairman Ram Shinde.The office of special inspector general of police Kolhapur Range, Sunil Phulari, has approved the leave sought by Doshi till April 6 and communicated the same to the SP with permission to leave the headquarters of the Satara police. Additional SP Vaishali Kadukar has been directed to take charge as the officiating Satara SP.Speaking at Mumbai, when asked whether Doshi has been sent on forced leave, the CM said, "Satara SP has gone on leave to ensure the enquiry we have started is not affected. Also, the inquiry of any person is not taking place, but that of the incident that happened. All those who were responsible for the deterioration of law and order, and what they did, will eventually come into the report."The opposition leaders had demanded the immediate suspension of Satara SP or send him on forced leave to ensure a fair investigation into the incident that happened on March 20.