Nawab Malik seeks judicial probe in Fadnavis’ ‘link with drug peddler’

Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik has charged that former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has close links with drug peddlers and has called for a judicial and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the matter.

Nawab Malik, who is the spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Minister for Minorities Affairs in Maharashtra, alleged at a press conference early this morning that the drug business in the state is carried out with the blessings of Fadnavis, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the state.

Malik, said that Fadnavis has close links with Jaideep Rana, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in June 2021 in a drugs case. “Rana is currently in jail,” he added.

Malik, who had tweeted two photographs of Rana, one with Fadnavis and another with his wife, Amrita Fadnavis. Malik clarified that mere presence of a photograph does not prove the links and added that Rana had financed a video album of Amrita Fadnavis, which shows “close links between Fadnavis and Rana”.

The Maharashtra minister said that the when Fadnavis was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Rana used to call the shots in transfers of top police officers and bureaucrats.

Malik said that Rana could free enter the office of Fadnavis, when the latter was the Chief Minister and also chambers of some bureaucrats.

Malik said he will make more disclosures in the coming days.