Former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh denied bail in money laundering case
Mumbai, March 14: A special PMLA court on Monday refused bail to former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who was arrested in an alleged money laundering case.
Anil Deshmukh, who is an NCP leader, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 2, 2021. He is currently in judicial custody. His bail plea was on Monday rejected by Special Judge RN Rokade. There is “enough evidence” to prima facie hold that he was “involved” in the money laundering case, the Judge said.
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"There are contradictions in the witness statements, but that cannot be considered at this stage (of bail plea)," said Special Judge RN Rokade.
This was Anil Deshmukh’s first regular bail petition. Earlier, the Special Court had rejected his plea for default bail, filed on technical ground. In the regular plea filed in January this year, Deshmukh contended that he is a victim of “gross persecution” by probe agencies.
The former Maharashtra Home Minister had said “harassment was being meted out to him at the hands of certain unscrupulous vested interests for blatantly malafide considerations”.
He claimed the case reflects “shocking abuse of power and authority” by officials concerned who have virtually unleashed a reign of terror by subverting the process of law.
“If such adventurism, which has been indulged into in the instant case is allowed to go unchecked, it will spell a death knell to the fundamental rights as guaranteed in the Constitution,” Deshmukh said in his plea.
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The ED had opposed his plea, alleging that he was the “main conspirator” in the money laundering case.
-PTC News
