Court rejects discharge plea of firm linked to Anil Deshmukh in money laundering case

Mumbai: A special court here on Saturday refused to discharge Premier Port Links Pvt Ltd, a company allegedly controlled by former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh's family, in a money laundering case while ruling that there was strong prima facie evidence against it.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has alleged that the company served as a vehicle for laundering proceeds of crime.

The firm, managed by NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh's son Salil Deshmukh, had sought discharge claiming that it had been implicated falsely.

As per the prosecution, the company took illegal loans totaling Rs 2.20 crore from M/s Flourish Properties Pvt Ltd, a firm in which the Deshmukh family had allegedly infused funds via bogus share capital.

About 50% of the company's shares were allotted to Salil Deshmukh for just Rs 17.5 lakh despite the company possessing assets including Rs 20 acres of land in Uran valued at approximately Rs 5.4 crore, the ED alleged.

The federal probe agency submitted that these transactions were a "criminal conspiracy" designed to layer and integrate tainted funds into the legitimate financial system.

The special judge for Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases held that it prima facie appeared that the company was one of the entities controlled and managed by the co- accused, the then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and his family.

It was utilised as part of the larger corporate structure created for layering and integration of tainted funds, the court said.

The special judge concluded that "strong prima facie case is made out by the prosecution to frame charges against the company".

The ED's case is that while serving as state home minister, Deshmukh, through then assistant police inspector Sachin Waze, collected Rs 4.7 crore from various bars and restaurants in Mumbai. The money was then laundered and routed to the Nagpur-based Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan, an educational trust controlled by the Deshmukh family.

Deshmukh and Waze (later dismissed from the police force) are the prime accused in the case.