After skipping the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for five consecutive times, Maharashtra’s former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Monday appeared finally before the ED in connection with an alleged money laundering case liked to the charges of extortion made against him by Mumbai’s former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
Seventy-one-year-old Deshmukh reached the ED office at around 11 am. His grilling at the hands of the ED continued till late in the evening. Among other things, the ED recorded Deshmukh’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Deshmukh’s appearance before the ED for questioning came after the Bombay High Court rejected his petition on October 29, challenging the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons for him to appear before it.
Ahead of his appearance before the ED, Deshmukh released a detailed statement to th media, Deshmukh said: “A false narrative and erroneous impression is being created by the vested interests that I am evading or avoiding to appear before the Enforcement Directorate. Undoubtedly, such propaganda is baseless. All that I ever wanted is a transparent, fair and objective probe without any fear or favour so that the truth is not rendered causality”.
Deshmukh charged that those who were maligning him had no credibility, honour or pride. “These unscrupulous persons are themselves kneep involved in several rackets of extortion, fraud and even murder. The principal person who held the office of Commissioner of Police is now a wanted absconding criminal, “the former State Home Minister said, while referring to allegations of extortion against him in March this year.
“I have scrupulously complied with the rule in letter and spirit. There has been no occasion when I have not made myself available for any probity in public life or personal life. My life is an open book and I have absolutely nothing to hide,” Deshmukh said.
“ I am keen to appear before “such unbiased” authorities and expose the falsity of the accusations that have been leveled against me. With fervent hope that the ED officers shall rise up to the occasion and act in a fair manner and also to lay to rest any misgivings about my cooperation with the investigations, I am appearing before the ED,” he said.
Deshmukh had resigned from his post as the State Home Minister on April 5 2021 within hours after the Bombay High Court ordered a “Preliminary Enquiry” (PE) by the CBI into the serious charges of corruption made against him by Mumbai’s former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. He is being investigated by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) over the allegations of corruption made by Param Bir Singh.
It may be recalled that on March 20, the former commissioner of police had alleged that State Home Minister Deshmukh had asked now arrested and dismissed police officer Sachin Vaze to "collect" a staggering Rs 100 crore per month from bars, restaurants and other sources.
Deshmukh is being investigated by the CBI in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) registered by it on April 24 section 7 of the amended Prevention of Corruption of Corruption Act and section 120-b (conspiracy) of IPC for an “attempt to obtain undue advantage for important and dishonest performance of the public duty”.
Having prima facie found “cognisance offences” of corruption and conspiracy against him during a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) conducted by it into the allegations made against him by Mumbai’s former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, the CBI on April 21 registered a regular case against him and other unknown people.
Having established a trail for Rs 4 crore allegedly paid by the 10 bar owners in Mumbai over a period of three months, the ED had conducted raids on the three residences and one property of Deshmukh on June 25.
Among other things, the ED had told the court on June 26 that Rs. 40 lakh was paid by 60 bar owners to the now dismissed and incarcerated Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Waze in December last year. The bar owners have told the ED that the amount was paid for ‘smooth functioning’ of their establishments.