Anil Deshmukh, a former home minister for Maharashtra, was granted bail by the Bombay High Court (HC) in a case involving money laundering. The Enforcement Directorate has filed a money laundering complaint against Anil Deshmukh (ED). To give the police department time to challenge Anil Deshmukh’s bail, the court has postponed the order until October 13.
The court observed in the decision that two elements of credits in the account of a trust managed by the Anil Deshmukh family were not “proceeds of crime.”
Anil Deshmukh, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was detained on November 2, 2021. He is also charged with corruption by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Justice NJ Jamadar stated in his order that Anil Deshmukh would be released on a one lakh rupee bail. The court delayed the order until October 13 after hearing from the extra solicitor general that the Enforcement Directorate would appeal the bail decision to the Supreme Court.
In the previous MVA coalition administration led by the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress, Anil Deshmukh served as the home minister. He is being detained at Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail.
After the CBI filed a case against Deshmukh over claims of extortion made by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, the ED launched its investigation into him.
Anil Deshmukh was accused by the ED of abusing his position and earning 4.70 crore from several Mumbai bars and eateries. It claimed that the funds were transferred to the Deshmukh family-controlled Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan, an educational charity with offices in Nagpur. Two of the credits in the trust’s account, however, were not “proceeds of crime,” the high court stated in its judgement on Tuesday.
“The third component (of credit) depends on the statement of Sachin Waze which after discussion this court has held that it falls in the favour of the applicant (Deshmukh),” the court said.
The judge said, “he was extending to Deshmukh the benefit of a proviso of section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.” According to this clause, a court may give bail to an accused person who is a woman or who is ill.
Anil Deshmukh was released on bail with instructions from the Bombay High Court not to tamper with the evidence. He would also have to give up his passport and appear in court each day of the trial, the court added.
In March 2021, IPS officer Param Bir Singh claimed that then-home minister Anil Deshmukh had set a goal for police officials to collect 100 crore from Mumbai’s eateries and bars each month.
Similar accusations were also made by former assistant police inspector Waze, who was detained in the Antilia bomb fear case in March 2021. The CBI was ordered to conduct a preliminary investigation by the high court in April 2021. Based on this investigation, the CBI filed a FIR for alleged corruption and abuse of official authority against Deshmukh and his associates.
