Bombay HC rejects pleas of Nawab Malik, Anil Deshmukh seeking bail to cast vote in MLC elections

The Bombay High Court has rejected pleas of NCP leaders Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik seeking temporary bail to cast vote in the upcoming MLC elections on June 20.

Malik filed a fresh plea after the high court, on Monday refused to grant him relief. Malik had sought permission to be allowed to step out of jail, on a bail bond for a day or under escort, to cast his vote for the June 20 MLC elections.

On Tuesday, his advocate mentioned the plea before justice Bharti Dangre. Justice Dangre gave her consent to tag the petition with that of Deshmukh.

Initially, on Monday, the NCP leader had sought to amend the earlier petition filed by him seeking to be released on June 10 to cast vote in the Rajya Sabha elections. The HC, on June 10 had refused to grant him any urgent relief saying that the tenor of his plea was for bail.

Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in November 2021 in an alleged money laundering case. He was subsequently arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) this April in a corruption case. At present, he is in judicial custody.

Similarly, Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on February 23 this year in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.