Anil Deshmukh approaches Bombay HC for bail in money laundering case

Anil Deshmukh has approached the Bombay High Court seeking bail in connection with a money laundering case.

Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh approached the Bombay High Court seeking bail in connection with a money laundering case, in which he was arrested over four months ago.

Deshmukh's bail plea on the merits of the case was rejected by the special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Mumbai earlier this month. Following this, he decided to approach the high court. His plea will be heard by Justice Anuja Prabhudessai on Friday.

Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 2, 2021, and is currently in judicial custody. In his plea he stated that "there are sanguine issues on which the very foundation of the case set up against him would stand eroded, the PMLA court has taken an extremely myopic view and has rejected the prayer for bail on wholly untenable grounds."

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Deshmukh in his bail plea filed through advocates Aniket Nikam and Inderpal Singh said he was targeted by the ED in a false and frivolous case and that the agency was misusing its authority. In 199 pages of the bail plea, the 73-year-old NCP leader has also highlighted his failing health issues and is thus beseeching for a benevolent indulgence of the court to release him on bail.

The bail plea further refuted the charges of money laundering and said all the alleged transactions were documented.

The special court while rejecting Deshmukh's bail plea had held that unofficial list of police officers, relating to transfers and postings used, to be prepared at his instance and used to be forwarded to the Police Establishment Board.