Mumbai, Mar 31 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi has been sent on leave to ensure an impartial probe into allegations of police misconduct during the Zilla Parishad presidential election.

Ministers Shambhuraj Desai (Shiv Sena) and Makarand Patil (Nationalist Congress Party) had alleged the local police manhandled them during the poll held on March 20 to elect the Satara ZP president.

Maharashtra legislative council deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe last week asked the state government to suspend Doshi.

“The Satara SP has been sent on leave. The decision was taken to ensure a free and fair investigation,” Fadnavis told reporters on Monday.

According to sources, Doshi is currently on earned leave and will remain so until April 6.

During the March 20 poll, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Priya Shinde was elected the Satara ZP president, trumping the Shiv Sena-NCP combine’s candidate despite the latter having a majority in the rural local body. The BJP narrowly surpassed the Sena-NCP alliance’s tally to win the top post.

The Eknath Shinde-led Sena and Sunetra Pawar-headed NCP are partners of the BJP in the state Mahayuti government.

After Gorhe’s directive to the government last week to suspend Doshi, Fadnavis had said the powers of the executive, judiciary and legislature are well defined in the Constitution.

Executive powers rest with the executive, and it is answerable to the legislature. The government makes an effort to implement the direction given by the chair, the CM stated.

Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde had said his deputy Gorhe’s order on suspension of Satara SP will be forwarded to law and constitutional experts for their opinion and then only a ruling will follow. PTI ND GK