Bombay HC seeks ED reply to Deshmukh's bail plea in money-laundering case

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Enforcement Directorate ED to file its affidavit in reply to the bail plea of Maharashtras former home minister Anil Deshmukh arrested in a money laundering caseA single bench of Justice Anuja Prabhudessai asked the ED to file its affidavit within a week and posted the bail plea for hearing on April 8The senior NCP leader has sought bail on health grounds and has termed the EDs case as false and frivolousDeshmukh was arrested by the ED on November 2 2021 and is currently in jail judicial custodyThe NCP leader approached the HC for relief on Tuesday after a special court rejected his bail plea earlier this monthDeshmukh in his bail plea filed in the HC through advocates Aniket Nikam and Inderpal Singh has claimed he was implicated by the ED in a false and frivolous case and that the agency was misusing its authorityThe plea further refuted the charges of money laundering and said all alleged transactions cited by the central agency in the case were documentedThe applicant is 73 years old and suffering from various agerelated ailments including a shoulder dislocation and hypertension the petition saidThese ailments impacts his immunity level which necessitates his dependence on a constant support and help it said requesting the court to show benevolent indulgence and release Deshmukh on bailThe plea added that the EDs case is wholly based on a statement given by dismissed cop Sachin Waze who is a shady characterDeshmukh in the plea further said the statement of Param Bir Singh former Mumbai police commissioner can also not be relied upon as the state government and the Centre are presently at crossroads and Singh has been warming up to central agencies and hence has been given a safe passageThe special court designated to hear cases related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA while refusing bail to Deshmukh had noted that there was evidence to show that the NCP leader was actively involved in money launderingThe EDs case is that while serving as state home minister Deshmukh misused his official position and through Waze a police officer who has been dismissed from service after his arrest in the Antilia bomb scareMansukh Hiran killing case last year collected Rs 470 crore from various bars in MumbaiThe money was laundered to Nagpurbased Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan an educational trust controlled by the Deshmukh family the central agency has allegedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever