MAHARASHTRA Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Saturday afternoon, appeared before Civil Judge V A Deshmukh with his lawyers -- Adv Uday Dable and Adv Deven Chauhan -- in connection with an application filed by controversial advocate Satish Uke seeking action against him for alleged nondisclosure of criminal cases in his election affidavit in 2014. After Fadnavis denied all the allegations levelled by Uke, the court recorded his statement in a written format as per the provisions under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, informed Adv Dable while speaking to ‘The Hitavada’. Adv Dable said that the court put forth questions to Fadnavis on the evidence relied upon by the complainant in the matter. Fadnavis was given 113 questions and he himself wrote the answers to each of them in consultation with him and Adv Chauhan, he added. Adv Dable said, “Fadnavis has denied all contentions and allegations and maintained that he had not committed any crime or wrongdoing.” After the matter was posted till May 6, he said, Fadnavis left the court after one-and-a-half hours. 

 

Uke, who along with his brother Pradeep, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, is presently in jail. Uke and his brother Pradeep (dismissed police constable), were allegedly involved in a land-grabbing case registered at Ajni Police Station. Uke had filed an application in the court seeking criminal proceedings against Fadnavis alleging that cases of cheating and forgery had been registered against the BJP leader in 1996 and 1998 but he did not disclose this information in his poll affidavit ahead of the 2014 assembly elections.