In a major setback to former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed his plea challenging the Bombay High Court order directing a CBI probe into the corruption allegation against him. The top court also dismissed a similar petition filed by the state government.

The bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and Hemant Gupta said an independent probe is required into the matter considering the persons involved and the seriousness of the allegations.

Deshmukh resigned as the home minister days after former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, in his letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, alleged that the NCP leader had asked police officers to extort Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

The court said that the two persons involved in the case was the police commissioner and the home minister and they were working together till they fall apart.

"Anil Deshmukh did not resign initially. He did so only after the High Court directed a probe. It means the home minister was clinging on to office," the apex court observed.

“It is only preliminary enquiry, nothing is wrong in it when serious allegations are made by senior officer against a senior minister,” the bench further said.

Earlier, the counsel for Deshmukh alleged that oral allegations were made without any substance and CBI probe was ordered without hearing him.

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