Moving ahead in its investigation into the alleged bribery case involving former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh with allegations of bribery and misuse of office, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has carried out searches at 12 locations in Maharashtra, including the residence of ACP Sanjay Patil and DCP Raju Bhujbal.

A CBI source told IANS, “Searches at 12 locations in Maharashtra were conducted on Tuesday after the roles of several people came up.”

The source said that the agency carried out searches at the residential premises of ACP Patil in Mumbai and Pune while rersidential premises of DCP Bhujbal in Mumbai and Ahmednagar. The source said, besides ACP and the DCP, the CBI also carried out searches at premises of several middlemen in Nashik, Sangli, Thane, Solapur and Usmanabad districts.

The CBI booked Deshmukh and several others on April 21 after carrying a preliminary enquiry on the orders of the Bombay High Court. The court had passed directions on the basis of a petition filed by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, who alleged Deshmukh had demanded Rs 100 crore be collected as bribes from bars and restaurants in the city.

On March 20, Singh, in an eight-page letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, alleged that Deshmukh asked now suspended API Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month, including Rs 40-50 crore, from 1,750 bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

Deshmukh has been charged under Section 7 of the amended Prevention of Corruption Act which deals with illegal gratification obtained by a public servant, and Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to CBI officials, case against Deshmukh was registered after the agency was satisfied there was enough evidence to proceed with a regular case against the NCP leader.