The CBI has registered a fresh FIR against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh for allegedly trying to frame BJP leaders in false cases, officials said Wednesday.

The CBI lodged the case after a two-year preliminary enquiry which originated from a pen drive handed over to the then Maharashtra Assembly speaker by Devendra Fadnavis who was then the leader of the opposition, they said.

The probe was handed over to the CID and later to the CBI.

The prima facie findings of the CBI preliminary enquiry show that Special Public Prosecutor Pravin Pandit Chavan conspired with one Vijay Bhaskarrao Patil, who acted as complainant, and the then home minister Anil Deshmukh to file a zero FIR on December 9, 2020 at Nimbhora Jalgaon police station related to a two-year-old incident in Pune "to falsely implicate BJP leaders and others to wrest control of the Jalgaon Zilla Maratha Vidhya Prasarak Sahakari Samaj Limited (Educational institution)," the FIR has alleged.

"Later, the zero FIR was transferred to Pune and registered on January 5, 2021," it said.

The CBI alleged that in furtherance to the criminal conspiracy, special public prosecutor Chavan, Patil and the then DCP Poornima Gaikwad and ACP Sushma Chavan, fabricated the statements of witnesses and evidence to falsely implicate the BJP leaders and other innocent persons.

Besides Deshmukh, the CBI has also named Chavan, Patil, Gaikwad and Sushma Chavan as accused in the FIR.

Reacting to the development, Anil Deshmukh termed the case as "baseless".

"This conspiracy has started after the ground beneath the feet of Fadnavis slipped away after seeing the opinion of the public. I do not begrudge such threats and pressure at all. Unflinchingly I have vowed to fight against this oppression of BJP," he posted on 'X'.

Deshmukh said people should see how low level and "perverted" mentality dirty politics is being done by Fadnavis in Maharashtra.

"In the Lok Sabha elections, the people have given place to this conspiracy leadership, now the people of Maharashtra are waiting for the assembly elections," he said.

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