Maharashtra: State cabinet to meet today in Mumbai amid Anil Deshmukh extortion row

Mumbai, Mar 24: Amid demand for Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh's resignation over letter 'bomb' row, the state cabinet is set to meet today at Sahyadri Guest House, Malabar Hill in Mumbai.

Deshmukh is under fire after former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh alleged that the minister had summoned police officer Sachin Waze around mid-February and asked him to help with collection' of money from hotels and bars in Mumbai.

The minister, who has denied the allegations, met chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP leaders including Devendra Fadnavis, state unit chief Chandrakant Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar and Ashish Shelar will meet Maharashtra governor B.S. Koshyari on Wednesday.

"The state has been direction-less for quite some time. We want governor Koshyari to seek a detailed status report from the chief secretary of Maharashtra," the party said. The meeting is scheduled for 9.30am, he said.