The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the non-bailable warrants (NBWs) issued against Pankaj Bhujbal, the son of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, in a money laundering case against him along with 53 other accused, including his father.
The Vacation Bench of Justices Abhay Manohar Sapre and Ashok Bhushan directed the NCP legislator Pankaj Bhujbal to approach the Bombay High Court challenging the summons issued by a Mumbai court designated under the Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMlA) on April 27, 2016. It asked Pankaj’s counsel, “We don’t understand why are you so allergic to approach the High Court and have chosen instead to appeal directly to the Supreme Court.”
His lawyers were confident of relief as the Supreme Court in a similar case had on May 11, 2016 stayed the NBW issued to one of the co-accused Krishna Chamarkar. But the apex bench said that the present appeal was not comparable with the earlier case. “You (Pankaj) only want to take advantage of the previous court order. But what prevented you to approach the HC as the earlier accused had gone.”
Junior Bhujbal who has already evaded appearance before the PMlA court on May 11, 2016 was allowed by the Supreme Court to withdraw the petition and appeal before the Bombay HC. The next date when the case against him will be taken up by the trial court is on June 13.
The Enforcement Directorate had filed a substantive charge sheet against Chhagan Bhujbal, his son Pankaj, his nephew and former MP Sameer Bhujbal, among several others for receiving alleged kickbacks in awarding contract of the new Maharashtra Sadan to be constructed at Delhi. The contract was awarded by Bhujbal when he was PWD Minister to the company Chamankar Enterprises, whose owners too are facing probe in the case.