Maharashtra police officials with drug links will be dismissed: Devendra Fadnavis

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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said state police personnel with drug links will not just be suspended but also dismissed from service, reported news agency PTI.

Talking to reporters, Devendra Fadnavis said anyone involved in the manufacturing and peddling of drugs will be booked under harsh laws, reported PTI.

"People involved will face strict action, but those police officials found to be involved (in drug trade) will not just be suspended but also dismissed under (Article) 311 (of the Constitution)," Fadnavis said.

Constitution's Article 311 pertains to the dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of persons employed in civil capacities under the Centre or a state, reported PTI.

The state police have undertaken a campaign to make Maharashtra drug-free and raids are being undertaken in every district, he said, reported PTI.

Work is happening at the national level and the inter-state movement of gangs involved in the drug trade is being monitored, Fadnavis said, reported PTI.

The state police have confiscated drugs worth hundreds of crores of rupees, the deputy CM said, reported PTI.

The Fadnavis-led home department had faced criticism, especially from the Shiv Sena (UBT) over the escape of alleged drug racketeer Lalit Patil from a government hospital in Pune on October 2. Patil was arrested near Bengaluru a few days later.

Nine police personnel were suspended after Patil's escape. Patil, who was in jail for about a year, was found to have access to a mobile phone while in hospital, a police official had said. He was allegedly peddling drugs even while undergoing treatment and had been named in a new case only three days ago.

Fadnavis said charges boomerang against those who level them. Last month, Fadnavis had claimed that Patil was the chief of the Nashik district of the undivided Shiv Sena when it was helmed by Uddhav Thackeray.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday clarified that YouTuber Elvish Yadav had been invited to the CM house as he was a celebrity and there were no allegations against him.

"Whenever there are Ganesh Utsav celebrations at the Chief Minister's house, celebrities go there. At that time Elvish Yadav had won some reality show, which is why he must have been invited there. There were no allegations against him at the time, it is wrong to drag the CM into this, if someone has committed a mistake then he should face punishment," Fadnavis said.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)