Shiv Sena Backs Maria Over His Meeting With Lalit Modi

24 June, Mumbai

Shiv Sena has came out in support of Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria over Lalit Modi row. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana today, Shiv Sena said that Maria had gone to London for a official conference and tainted former boss of IPL Lalit Modi met him there.

The editorial has pointed that Maria had asked Lalit Modi to come back to Mumbai and face proceedings and he had also communicated the then Home Minister Late RR Patil about the meeting.

The editorial stated that courageous officers like Maria must not be punished without due probe. Shiv Sena asked why the government was not backing Maria the same way as it was doing so in the case of its leaders Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje in the Lalit Modi controversy.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary K P Bakshi yesterday submitted his report on Rakesh Maria’s meeting with Lalit Modi to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Based on this report the government is soon expected to take a decision.

On Saturday, after a news channel aired a photograph purportedly featuring Maria with Lalit Modi, the Mumbai Police chief had admitted that he had indeed met the former IPL boss at the insistence of the latter’s lawyer in London last year.