Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has been accused of a money laundering case linked to his immovable assets.
On Friday, officials informed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached immovable assets worth Rs 4.20 crore belonging to former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and his family in connection with money laundering case.
The attached assets constitute one residential flat estimated around Rs 1.54 crore, located in Mumbai’s Worli, and another 25 land parcels of book valued at Rs 2.67 crore, situated in Dhutum village in Raigarh village of Maharashtra.
Officials further informed that a provisional attachment order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case against Anil Deshmukh
As per reports, a case has been lodged against Anil Deshmukh, the former Maharashtra Home Minister related to his alleged movement in corruption and extortion case.
Parambir Singh, former Mumbai Police commissioner proclaimed that Anil Deshmukh had demanded suspended police officer Sachin Vaze along with few others to extort Rs 100 crore for him every month by targeting the bars and restaurants.
After these allegations, petitions were recorded in the Bombay High court urging the case to be filed against Anil Deshmukh. Following this, the Bombay High Court ordered a preliminary inquiry by the CBI. An FIR was also registered against Anil Deshmukh.
The ED also registered a case against the former Maharashtra Home Minister and carried forward with searches at multiple premises owned by the minister including the people who are close to him.
In the past month, ED pulled in Anil Deshmukh’s PA Kundan Shinde, and PS Sanjeev Palande. He along with his family members were also summoned.
Reportedly, Deshmukh has managed to skip almost three summons for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate. Hrishikesh Deshmukh, his son, and his wife who were also summoned denied appearing before the federal probe agency.
Anil Deshmukh moved to the Supreme Court asking for protection against anti-coercive actions against him and his family members.
Assets that are estimated at Rs 4.20
Under the PMLA investigation, it has been found that the Maharashtra Home Minister while serving his position accepted Rs 4.70 crore in cash from several orchestra bars owners through Sachin Vaze.
With the cooperation of Delhi-based dummy companies, Deshmukh’s family laundered the tainted money of Rs 4.18 crore and projected it as untainted by portraying it as the same amount received in the trust named Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha.
As the investigations proceeded, the Worli flat owned by the minister and registered in the name of his wife Aarti Deshmukh got revealed.
Furthermore, it uncovered that the entire payment was made in the form of cash in 2004. However, in February 2020 a sale deed was done when Anil Deshmukh was the Home Minister of the state.
His family too obtained 50 percent ownership in M/s Premier Port Links Pvt Ltd coupled with land and shop assets valued at around Rs 5.34 crore (book value), by hardly paying the number of Rs 17.95 lakh after a considerable gap.
Meaning, Anil Deshmukh has refused any wrongdoings. His lawyer claimed, the ED action against him was ‘unjustified’.