Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh joins money laundering probe
The minister appeared before the agency around 11.30 and is being questioned, sources said. “He is the prime beneficiary in the case hence his questioning is crucial,” said a senior officer requesting anonymity.
In a video message posted on his Twitter account, Deshmukh said that he never evaded the summons issued by ED or any other agencies but was awaiting the decision from the courts.”… Today I have presented myself before the agency. However, the complainant, Param Bir Singh who levelled fake allegations against me is untraceable,”
The federal agency in the past has issued at least five summonses against the former minister to join the probe but the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader never complied with any of them and had moved the HC to seek relief.
The ED initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Deshmukh and others for allegedly attempting to obtain undue advantage for improper and dishonest performance of their public duty for collection of funds to achieve the target of Rs 100 crore per month from various bars, restaurants and other establishments.
Earlier in August, the federal agency had filed its first prosecution complaint (equivalent to a chargesheet) in the said case against the two arrested aides of Deshmukh.
In his statement to the ED, which is a part of the charge sheet, dismissed Mumbai police officer, Sachin Waze had claimed that other than NCP leader Anil Deshmukh, he also received ‘time to time instructions’ from state transport minister and Shiv Sena leader, Anil Parab to collect bribe. Also, other than Parab, he was also approached by a person who introduced himself as a close aide of Maharashtra deputy CM, Ajit Pawar. The said aide asked him to ‘collect a monthly amount of Rs 100 crore from illegal gutka sellers’.
When asked for evidence on these claims, Waze has told the federal anti-money laundering agency that certain chats on Wahtsapp has been retrieved by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which had arrested Waze in connection with the Antilia bomb scare- Mansukh Hiren murder case. The statement has been recorded under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) which is admissible as evidence in the court of law.
Waze added that following the instruction by an alleged close aide of Pawar, he carried out drives against illegal guthka sellers and also initiated action against owners of factories. However, the ‘aide’ “conveyed displeasure by Pawar on his action”, Waze claims in his statement which forms a part of the prosecution complaint (equivalent to chargesheet) filed by ED against Waze , two arrested aides of Deshmukh and a cache of firms linked to Deshmukh and his family members. ET has assessed the statement.
A PMLA court has taken cognisance of the chargesheet paving a way for the trial.
Deshmukh who is being probed by multiple agencies including the CBI and ED has called the probe politically motivated. Even Parab has claimed the same.
The ED has attached assets worth Rs 4.20 crore – a residential flat valued at Rs. 1.54 crore, located at Worli in Mumbai and 25 land parcels of book value Rs 2.67 crore, located at Dhutum Villages in Uran, Raigarh district of Maharashtra. According to the agency, these assets are held in the name of Deshmukh’s wife Aarti and company Premier Port Links Private Limited. His son, Salil, was a director in the firm between January 2006 and August 2012.
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