There were serious lapses in the transfer of about 50 IPS officers in Maharashtra last year, when NCP leader Anil Deshmukh was the state’s home minister. This is part of CBI chief Subodh Jaiswal’s statement to the central agency, which is probing allegations of corruption and bribery against Deshmukh, mid-day has learnt. The CBI recorded its director’s statement since he was Maharashtra’s DGP when the alleged irregularities were committed.

Sources said the development came after the Police Establishment Board (PEB) meeting of September 2020 came under CBI scanner during their ongoing investigation against Deshmukh. The agency is also trying to find if bribes were taken to transfer the DCP- and above-rank officers. Rashmi Shukla, state’s former intelligence department chief, had allegedly recorded conversations tied to the alleged bribery over police postings last year and the data was handed over to the central Home department. As the CBI spoke to Jaiswal, he made the shocking revelation that the important meeting of the PEB never happened ahead of the transfers last September, said sources.