Ex-Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh sent to 14-day judicial custody

A special PMLA court here on Monday remanded former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in 14-day judicial custody in connection with a multi-crore money laundering case.

Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 1 after questioning in the case, under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

At the end of his ED custody on Tuesday, the NCP leader was produced before special judge H S Sathbhai who remanded him in judicial custody. The ED had initiated a probe against Deshmukh and his associates after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its FIR against the NCP leader on April 21 this year on charges of corruption and misuse of official position.

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The money laundering case against Deshmukh and others was made out after the CBI booked him in a corruption case related to allegations of at least Rs 100 crore bribery made by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

The ED's case is that Deshmukh, while serving as home minister, misused his official position and through dismissed police officer Sachin Waze collected Rs 4.70 crore from various bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

Deshmukh had refuted these allegations earlier and said the agency's whole case was based on malicious statements made by a tainted cop (Waze). The ED had earlier also arrested his two aides- Sanjeev Palande (additional collector rank official who was working as Deshmukh's private secretary) and Kundan Shinde (Deshmukh's personal assistant) - in connection with the case.

They are currently in judicial custody. The agency had submitted its prosecution complaint (equivalent to a charge sheet) against the duo before a special court.

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