Anil Deshmukh
Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to be produced in court today
Mumbai/UNI: Former Home Minister of Maharashtra Anil Deshmukh, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with money laundering and extortion charges on Nov 2, will be shortly produced before a special court for extension of his remand, which ended on Saturday.
The NCP leader underwent a medical examination this morning at government-run J J Hospital.
ED had filed a case against Deshmukh on the basis of bribe charges levelled by former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh, which later led to his resignation from the post of Home Minister.
Singh had written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, alleging that Deshmukh had received illegal gratification of around Rs 4.7 crore in cash from various orchestra and bar owners between December 2020 and February 2021, when he was Home Minister, through Assistant Inspector Sachin Waze.
On Nov 2, the ED had claimed in court that Deshmukh was directly involved in the offence of money laundering.
Apart from relying on the statement of co-accused Waze, the ED said it had recorded the statements of two more police officers.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh and Special Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaokar told the court that Deshmukh had allegedly laundered the bribe money with the help of Delhi-based paper companies, while "attempting to colour it as donation" to his education trust, Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha.
The ED said that Deshmukh’s son, Hrishikesh, allegedly contacted two men - Surendra and Virendra Jain, who gave donations to the trust in lieu of cash transferred to them through hawala.
"The trust is formed, managed and controlled by Anil Deshmukh and his family members and (they) laundered the bribe money with the help of said Delhi-based paper companies," it added.
On Tuesday, NCP leader and State Minister Nawab Malik said, “The entire action is politically motivated. It is aimed at scaring leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.”
He also said the central government should "come clean and check the whereabouts" of Param Bir Singh.
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