After 12-long hours of intense grilling, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) placed Maharashtra’s former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh under arrest in the early hours of Tuesday in the alleged money laundering case linked to the charges of extortion made against him by Mumbai’s former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. Later in the day, a sessions court remanded Deshmukh in ED’s custody till November 6.
As his questioning by the ED officials went on till late into Monday night and there was no official coming out of the investigating agency’s office in south Mumbai, it had become more or less certain that Deshmukh would be placed under arrest. At around 1.30 am, the ED formally arrested him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on charges of bribery, conspiracy and misuse of office.
Seven-one-year-old Deshmukh was produced before Additional Sessions Judge PB Jadhav, who presides over the Special Holiday Court, at around noon.
On its part, the ED had sought 14 days’ custody. However, the court remanded him in ED’s custody till November 6. Since it is quite unlikely that he will get relief from the court in the new few days, Deshmukh will have to spend the Diwali in the ED’s custody.
In a statement released to the media ahead of his appearance before the ED, Deshmukh had 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 — who had skipped the summons issued by the ED on five occasions — had charged that those who were maligning him had no credibility, honour or pride. “These unscrupulous persons are themselves knee-deep 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 had 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. He is being investigated by the CBI and the ED over the allegations of corruption made by Singh.
It may be recalled that on March 20, the former commissioner of police had alleged that 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 in Mumbai.
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 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 PE conducted by it into the allegations made against him by Mumbai’s former police commissioner, the CBI on April 21 registered a regular case against him and other unknown people.
Having established a trail for Rs 4.7 crore allegedly paid by the 10 bar owners in Mumbai over a period of three months from December 2020 to February 2021, the ED had conducted raids on the three residences and one property of Deshmukh on June 25.
The ED has alleged that of the total amount, Rs 4.18 crore was then deposited in cash with four Delhi-based shell companies- Reliable Finance Corporation Pvt Ltd, VA Realcon Pvt Ltd, Utsav Securities Pvt Ltd and Sital Leasing and finance Pvt Ltd These firms subsequently donated the entire money to Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan Trust, a charitable trust headed by Anil Deshmukh and his family.
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 Vaze in December last year. The bar owners have told the ED that the amount was paid for “smooth functioning” of their establishments and