The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday told the Bombay High Court that Maharashtra’s former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had “misused his official position to amass wealth and was the mastermind and brain in all the money laundering activities”.
The Central agency filed its affidavit before the High Court in Mr. Deshmukh’s bail plea. “He exercised undue influence to pass favourable transfers and postings of police officials.”
The affidavit mentioned, “The applicant [Mr. Deshmukh] is the mastermind of the entire conspiracy hatched with his son Hrishikesh Deshmukh, Sachin Vaze [dismissed police officer], Sanjeev Palande [his personal secretary] and Kundan Shinde [personal assistant]. He is the main conspirator and the brain behind the whole conspiracy to collect money from bars and restaurant owners.”
The affidavit pointed out that Mr. Deshmukh admitted that an unofficial list used to be circulated containing the names of police officials and respective places where they were to be transferred, for which no records were maintained.
The affidavit urged the court to reject his bail as it is devoid of merits and said he is an influential person and in a position to tamper with evidence.
The High Court is scheduled to hear Mr. Deshmukh’s bail on April 8. He is in the custody of the CBI till April 11 on charges of corruption and was arrested by the ED in November 2011 on charges of money laundering.
The CBI stepped in after the High Court on April 5, 2021 had directed a preliminary inquiry against Mr. Deshmukh, 71, 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.
Subsequently, the ED took over the probe into money laundering against him and his son.
