Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who was arrested on November 2 by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, has been sent to 14-day judicial custody by the special PMLA court on Saturday.
The ED has sought 9-days extension in its custody of Deshmukh but the court refused the probe agency’s plea and sent him to judicial custody. The agency had arrested him late night on Monday after 12 hours of questioning.
The money laundering case against Deshmukh and others was made out after the CBI booked him in a corruption case related to allegations of Rs 100 crore bribery made by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
A court had on Tuesday remanded Deshmukh in the agency’s custody till November 6. He was produced before the special at the end of his ED custody.
His son Hrishikesh moved the sessions court today and filed a petition for anticipatory bail. Earlier on Thursday, the ED had issued summons to Hrishikesh for questioning in an alleged money laundering case in which his father Anil Deshmukh has been arrested. ED had asked Hrishikesh to appear before it on Friday but he did not, said ED officials.
Besides, the ED had initiated a probe against Deshmukh and his associates after the CBI filed its FIR against the NCP leader on April 21 on charges of corruption and misuse of official position. Besides Deshmukh, the ED has arrested his two aides – Kundan Shinde and Sanjeev Palande – in connection with the case.
The CBI registered the FIR after allegations made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who said Deshmukh had directed dismissed policeman Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month from hotels and bars in Mumbai.
Waze, meanwhile, was on Saturday sent to police custody till November 13 in the money laundering case. A case of extortion was registered against Waze on July 23. He was dismissed from service in May 2021.
Deshmukh has denied all the allegations against him but had to resign in April after the CBI registered the case. In order to draw a logical conclusion in this case, it is imperative for the investigation to interrogate the accused in custody, the ED application said.
The application by ED Assistant Director Tassine Sultan said it was revealed during the investigation that there are 27 companies that are directly or indirectly controlled by the family members of Anil Deshmukh. During recording his statements, he was shown the list of those 27 companies that were involved in the money laundering case.
Deshmukh was evasive in his replies when he was asked about his association with these 27 companies, the ED said while pushing for extending his ED custody.