Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria on Monday submitted a report containing information on his meeting with the former Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi to the Maharashtra government. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had sought the information on Sunday.
"Yes, Maria has submitted his say on the issue,” Additional Chief Secretary, Home, K P Bakshi, told PTI. He, however, declined to give details of Maria's report.
On Saturday, after a news channel aired a photo purportedly featuring Maria with Lalit Modi, the police commissioner issued a statement saying that he had indeed met the former IPL boss at the insistence of the latter's lawyer in London last year. During the meeting, Lalit Modi sought the help of the Mumbai police in view of "threat" to his life by the underworld in London, Maria said, adding that he had apprised the then home minister (late R R Patil of the Nationalsit Congress Party) about the meeting soon after return.
Fadnavis had said on Sunday that based on Maria's information the further course of action would be decided. Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil had, however, said that repeated requests from Lalit Modi cannot be an "excuse" to meet him and an inquiry will be conducted.
Lalit Modi, who is facing probe by the Enforcement Directorate, is in news following revelations that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj helped him get a travel document in London.
Meanwhile, Prithviraj Chavan, who was the chief minister in the Congress-NCP government when Maria had visited London, said he was not aware of the visit and the meeting. "Such trips are cleared at the level of the home minister. I wasn't briefed about it," Chavan said.
Image: Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria
