The Maharashtra government on Friday notified a Special Investigation Team to look into an alleged conspiracy during the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s tenure to “file false cases” against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Devendra Fadnavis and the Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde.

Fadnavis, who is now the chief minister, was then the leader of opposition. Shinde, who is presently Fadnavis’ deputy along with Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar, was then the urban development minister in the government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

In August, a first information report was registered against former Director General of Police Sanjay Pandey, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sardar Patil and Inspector Manohar Patil, accusing them of pressuring a Thane businessman to make allegations against Fadnavis and Shinde, based on which a case could be filed against the two leaders, The Indian Express reported.

The state government had announced in December that it intended to form a committee to inquire into the allegations. This came after BJP Member of Legislative Council Pravin Darekar spoke in the state’s Upper House about the alleged conspiracy to frame Fadnavis and Shinde.

The Special Investigation Team appointed on Friday will be headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Mumbai Satyanarayan Choudhary. It will also comprise Deputy Inspector General Rajiv Jain, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) Navnath Dhawale and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Bandra division) Adhikrao Pol.