Amitabh Gupta’s new post has drawn the most attention in the massive turmoil in Maharashtra.
Mumbai:
A police officer in Maharashtra who allegedly facilitated the travels of billionaire brothers Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan during the nationwide coronavirus shutdown has been appointed chief of police for the city of Pune.
Amitabh Gupta, an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer from 1992, was Senior Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Maharashtra, when the villagers of Wadhaw, promoters of the Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL) scam, went to make a “closing picnic” in Mahabaleshwar. from Mumbai in April, days after the country entered a lockdown to combat the coronavirus.
His new position has attracted most of the attention in the massive police move in Maharashtra; 50 high-ranking officers have been changed in the order that came from July.
Amitabh Gupta was sent out on compulsory license after his letter of facilitation emerged. He wrote that the group was “well known to me because they are friends of my family and were traveling from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar for a family emergency” and listed the name of each traveler.
The brothers, their families, cooks and helpers drove 180 km from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar in two Range Rovers and three Fortuners.
Amitabh Gupta resumed his duties in May after an investigative panel headed by Senior IAS Officer Manoj Saunik cleared him. He will now take over as Pune Police Commissioner replacing K Venkatesham, who has been transferred as Additional Director General for Special Operations.
Mr. Gupta’s post of Chief Secretary (Law and Order) in the Interior Department goes to Vineet Agarwal, who has been repatriated from the Directorate of Enforcement.
Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan are currently in jail.
They were arrested in Mahabaleshwar shortly after their trip was revealed. They are under investigation on charges of fraud and money laundering.
The BJP opponent had alleged that Amitabh Gupta aided the Wadhawans by order of certain politicians. Now the BJP says that Amitabh Gupta has been rewarded with a plum pole by the same people. Pune is seen as a stronghold of Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a member of the state’s ruling coalition. The BJP, which has made inroads into the city, says it will not let the issue go without protest.
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