A special court remanded former Home Minister of Maharashtra Anil Deshmukh to the CBI custody till April 11.
Mr. Deshmukh was arrested by the CBI on Wednesday morning and produced before the special court in a corruption case.
CBI’s counsel Rajmohan Chand told the court that Mr. Deshmukh’s personal assistant Kundan Shinde, personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and suspended police officer Sachin Vaze in the case were in their custody. Their confessional statements have been taken on collecting money from owners of bars and restaurants. There were statements of bar owners confirming the same and some discrepancies were found. Therefore, Mr. Deshmukh’s custody was needed for verification. The CBI sought 10 days of custody of the Nationalist Congress Party leader.
Bail plea hearing
However, advocate Aniket Nikam, representing for Mr. Deshmukh, asked why is his custody needed by the CBI when he had appeared before them and cooperated. He pointed out that his bail plea was listed to be heard by the Bombay High Court on April 8. That’s why the CBI wanted to arrest him. The officials want to take a 73-year-old man with medical ailments to Delhi when the entire case and its investigation was in Mumbai/Maharashtra.
Special CBI judge B.C. Barde remanded Mr. Deshmukh to CBI custody till April 11.
On April 1, the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court granted the CBI Mr. Deshmukh’s custody after it filed an application on March 31 seeking the same.
Meanwhile, Mr. Deshmukh moved the High Court challenging the special court order of sending him to the CBI custody as he was then admitted to the State-run JJ hospital for a dislocated shoulder. On Wednesday, Justices Revati Mohite-dere and P.D. Naik recused themselves from hearing his plea.
In ED custody
Mr. Deshmukh is currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering. He was taken into the CBI custody from the Arthur Road Jail where he is lodged from November 2021.
The CBI stepped in after the Bombay High Court, on April 5, 2021 directed a preliminary inquiry against Mr. Deshmukh, after former Police Commissioner of Mumbai Param Bir Singh wrote a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and made allegations that he gave orders to Mr. Vaze to collect ₹100 crore from bars and restaurants.
Mr. Deshmukh is booked under sections section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and section 7 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
