An FIR has been registered against DHFL group promoter Kapil Wadhawan and 22 others (his family members and servants) at Mahabaleshwar police station for violating prohibitory orders amid the nationwide lockdown, police told ANI on Friday, 10 April.
DHFL promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan were detained at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra's Satara district on Thursday.
Police had found 23 people, including members of the Wadhawan family, at their farmhouse, an official told PTI. They were then placed under institutional quarantine by local police in Mahabaleshwar.
While the opposition BJP sought an explanation from the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said a probe will be conducted.
According to local police officials, the Wadhawan family along with others, travelled from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar on Wednesday evening in their cars, even when both Pune and Satara districts are sealed.
Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan are accused in Yes Bank and DHFL fraud cases. They were spotted at their `Diwan farm house' by civic authorities, officials said.
IPS Officer Sent on Compulsory Leave Over Incident
Speaking to ‘ABP Majha’ news channel, Home Minister Deshmukh said that Principal Secretary (home) Amitabh Gupta had apparently given a letter to the Wadhawans, permitting the family to travel to Mahabaleshwar.
The IPS officer was sent on compulsory leave for allowing them to travel despite the lockdown.
"Such a letter is given only in emergency....On Friday, detailed information will be collected and action will be taken keeping in mind the protocol. What happened was not right," the minister said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recently issued summons to Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan in Yes Bank case and asked them to appear on 17 March. The duo reportedly cited the pandemic and skipped the appearance, officials said.
The letter purportedly issued by Gupta mentioned that he knew the Wadhawans, and that they were travelling because of some family emergency, police sources said.
‘No Lockdowns for Rich in Maha?’: Opposition
Meanwhile, opposition BJP latched onto the issue.
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Devendra Fadnavis wondered how could one vacation in Mahableshwar with official permission from the police when lockdown is in force, PTI reported.
“No lockdowns for mighty and rich in Maharashtra?. One can spend holidays in Mahabaleshwar with official permission from police,” the former chief minister said.
"It is not possible that a senior IPS officer would do such gross mistake knowing the consequences on his own....With whose order or blessings was this done? Mr CM & HM you owe us an explanation (sic)," Fadnavis said.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)