After Patil’s clean chit to cops, Vilasrao orders probe

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Monday said a high level committee will conduct an inquiry into the shootout incident in which a Bihari youth has been killed to ascertain whether his killing could have be avoided.

“I have asked the State Chief Secretary to setup a high level committee and submit the report at the earliest,” Deshmukh said.

While speaking to PTI the Chief Minister said “the DGP and Mumbai Police Commissioner have sought details. They will inquire into all aspects of the incident, including how the armed youth got into the public transport bus and whether his killing could have been avoided.”

“I spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and assured them that the inquiry report would be submitted soon,” he said.

“We will submit the factual report to the Centre,” Deshmukh said.

Responding to a question on Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal’s comment that the Centre had sought a report on the incident, Deshmukh, who is in his hometown Latur, said he was unaware about it.

“May be it has gone directly to the state home ministry,” he said.

The Chief Minister also downplayed the meeting of his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar and other leaders from Bihar with the prime minister.

“Their meeting was scheduled some time back on the recent happenings involving North Indians. Today’s incident just got added on their agenda,” he said.

The 23-year-old youth Rahul Raj, who said he wanted to kill MNS leader Raj Thackeray, held a bus load of passengers hostage in a north-east suburb on Monday was killed in a shootout with the police.