An official in the Chief Minister's Office refuted reports that Vilasrao Deshmukh had ordered revoking of the suspension order.
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has expressed surprise at the "speedy" suspension order of a star-struck constable who hugged actor Sanjay Dutt after his release from Yerwavda jail in Pune on interim bail.
"At a meeting with senior officials here, Deshmukh expressed surprise over the speedy manner in which the constable's suspension was ordered," an official in the Chief Minister's Office said.
However, the official refuted reports appearing in a national daily and a TV channel that Deshmukh had ordered revoking of the suspension order.
"The Chief Minister stated that due procedure should have been adopted before taking the decision to suspend the cop, like issuing show-cause notice and initiating departmental probe," the official said.
R Kalekar, who had shaken hands and hugged Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt-- convicted under the Arms Act in 1993 Mumbai blasts case -- has been suspended while eight other police personnels face departmental probe for showing friendly gestures towards the actor.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister R R Patil, who handles the Home portfolio, had taken the incident seriously and ordered a probe into the matter.
"Deshmukh felt that from the TV footage it is seen it was Dutt who initiated the handshake and Kolekar, like any ordinary star-struck person, shook hands," he said.
However, according to Patil, the policemen's action violated the police manual as well as the Maharashtra Civil Services Rules an he had asked Satish Mathur, Inspector General of Prisons, to probe the incident.
Both Deshmukh and Patil have yet to make their stance clear on minister of state for labour Baba Siddiqui, whose expulsion has been sought by opposition Shiv Sena-BJP for "cosying" upto the actor.
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