Maha govt rejects Sanjay Pandey’s inquiry report on Deven Bharti

The state government has rejected an inquiry report by IPS officer Sanjay Pandey (while he was DG Home Guards) into the allegations made by criminal Vijay Palande against IPS officer Deven Bharti. Palande had made several allegations against Bharti claiming that he had underworld links.

Bharti is a 1994 batch IPS officer and is posted as the additional director general of the Maharashtra State Security corporation. He has earlier served in crime branch and was joint commissioner (law and order) in Mumbai and was also the ATS chief.

Palande is serving a life sentence in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai after being convicted in several cases, including murder.

Sources in the state government said that after Palande made allegations, a probe was conducted and a report was sent to the then Director General of police and then additional chief secretary (home) in 2020. The probe did not find Bharti guilty of underworld links.

A fresh inquiry was again initiated after orders from then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh through his personal assistant to then DG Sanjay Pandey of Home Guards. Pandey (now in jail) submitted a report to Deshmukh, concluding that there was substance in the allegations.

This report was then taken up by state home department for further process. In his response to the probe report, Bharti denied the allegations against him and contended that the probe was not ordered as per the process under All India Civil Service (Conduct) Rules.

Sources said that Bharti’s submission was accepted by the government. The closure order (on the case) dated November 3 and signed by a joint secretary refers to the complaint made by Palande on December 31, 2018 and reports sent by Sanjay Pandey on February 16, 2021 and November 24, 2021.

It says there is no merit in the allegations made by Palande and the process of law was not followed. As such the reports by Pandey were rejected. The submission by Bharti were accepted by the department.

Vijay Palande is a criminal suspected to be linked to gangster Santosh Shetty. He was convicted for a double murder in 2002, jumped parole, allegedly changed his looks and killed two other men 10 years later in 2012.

Following murder of businessman Arun Tikku in April 2012, Palande was detained for questioning, as he was a tenant of one of Tikku’s flats.

He was arrested for masterminding the murders of Tikku and Kakkad.

Chief Secretary Manukumar Shrivastava and additional chief secretary (home) A M Limaye did not respond to messages sent by this correspondent for their reaction to the decision on Bharti.