New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a criminal case under the anti-money laundering law against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. The case against Anil Deshmukh has been filed in an alleged ‘bribery’ incident, official sources said Tuesday. They said the case has been registered under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It has been filed after studying a CBI FIR that was filed against Deshmukh late last month. The central probe agency may now summon Deshmukh, 71, for questioning.
The ED case comes about after the CBI first carried out a preliminary enquiry followed by filing a regular case. The case was filed on the orders of the Bombay High Court. It asked the CBI to look into the allegations of bribery made against Deshmukh by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
The agency will probe if illicit funds were generated in the transfer and posting of police personnel in Maharashtra. It will also probe if illegal extortion was done by the cops as alleged by Singh in his complaint.
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The agency has powers to attach assets of the accused during the investigation stage. Then it can later file chargesheets against the accused before a PMLA court for trial.
Singh was shunted out from the prime post after the role of policeman Sachin Vaze surfaced during investigation of the explosive-laden SUV that was found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house here.
In his letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, after he was removed, Singh had alleged that Deshmukh had asked Waze to extort over Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants of Mumbai.
The CBI booked Deshmukh and others under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections related to criminal conspiracy and section of Prevention of Corruption Act for ‘attempt to obtain undue advantage for improper and dishonest performance of public duty’.
The CBI enquiry found Vaze, assistant inspector of Mumbai police, had been reinstated into the police force after being out of service for more than 15 years.
Vaze was entrusted with some of the most sensational and important cases of Mumbai city. Deshmukh was in knowledge of the said fact, the CBI FIR alleged.
