The Bombay High Court on Tuesday extended protection from arrest till June 10, to the member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and son of former Deputy Chief Minister, Pankaj Bhujbal, in a money laundering case. A single Bench of Justice Sadhana Jadhav was hearing a petition seeking cancellation of his non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court.
The court said, “I want to make it very clear that you are protected only till 3 p.m. of June 10.” The court also said that the single Bench does not have the jurisdiction to pass appropriate orders; therefore the petitioners should approach the Registrar and then go before a division Bench.
Government pleader Purnima Kantharia appearing for the Enforcement Directorate informed the court that three other accused in the case had moved the PMLA court during vacation and got their NBWs cancelled; so Mr. Bhujbal can seek the same relief.
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Another single Bench of Justice P. N. Deshmukh granted protection from arrest to 11 others in the case.