ED files chargesheet against Anil Deshmukh in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday filed a supplementary chargesheet in a money laundering case involving former Maharashtra home minister and senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh.

Besides Deshmukh (72), his two sons - Hrishikesh Deshmukh and Salil Deshmukh have been named in the chargesheet.

The first chargesheet was filed against Deshmukh’s personal assistant Kundan Shinde and private secretary Sanjeev Palande, who is an additional collector-level officer, now under suspension.

Deshmukh was arrested on November 1 and is currently lodged in jail after being granted judicial custody.

The 7,000-page supplementary chargesheet has been filed before a special court set up under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had launched a probe against Deshmukh and his associates after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR against him on April 21 this year on charges of corruption and misuse of official position.

The then Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, who is now under suspension, has alleged that Deshmukh had fixed a collection target of Rs 100 crore per month for now dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze.

Incidentally, Vaze was arrested in connection with the planting of gelatine-sticks laden Mahindra Scorpio with a threat note near Antilia, the residence of Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman Mukesh Ambani and the subsequent murder of the SUV owner Mansukh Hiran.

Vaze, who was attached to the Crime Intelligence Unit, is a veteran in Crime Branch-CID and encounter specialist, and worked under the direct command of Singh.

According to the ED case, Rs 4.70 crore was collected from various bars in Mumbai and was laundered to Nagpur-based Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan, an educational trust controlled by the Deshmukh family.

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