Bombay High Court sends Anil Deshmukh to ED custody till November 12; Set aside the judicial custody order.
The Bombay High Court on Sunday quashed a special court order sending former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to judicial custody and remanded him to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till November 12 in a money laundering case.
A vacation bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar was hearing an application filed by the ED challenging the special court’s November 6 order sending Deshmukh to 14-day judicial custody on the ground that it was bad in law. and is against the principles of natural justice.
Deshmukh’s counsel Vikram Choudhary and advocate Aniket Nikam told the court that while they were opposing the petition on merits and maintainability, the NCP leader agreed and was voluntarily questioned by the ED.
The court then sent Deshmukh to ED custody till November 12.
The ED arrested Deshmukh on November 1 after 12 hours of interrogation in a multi-crore money laundering case.
He was produced in a special holiday court on November 2, from where he was remanded in ED custody till November 6.
When he was produced before the special court on Saturday, the ED had sought more custody, but the court refused and sent him to judicial custody.
The ED had launched a probe against Deshmukh and his associates after the CBI on April 21 registered an FIR against the NCP leader on charges of corruption and abuse of official position.
The ED had earlier arrested two people in the case – Sanjeev Palande (an additional collector rank officer who was working as Deshmukh’s personal secretary) and Kundan Shinde (Deshmukh’s personal assistant).
The agency had earlier submitted its prosecution complaint (equivalent to a charge sheet) against the two before a special court.
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