Maharashtra: ED Withdraws Plea Against Chhagan Bhujbal & Nephew Sameer; Cabinet Minister Free To Travel Abroad

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has withdrawn its plea challenging the permission granted by a lower court to NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Chhagan Bhujbal and his nephew Sameer Bhujbal to travel abroad in 2018.

Chhagan Bhujbal presently holds a cabinet position in the Maharashtra government.

Background details of case

Bhujbal and his family were arrested in 2016 on charges of money laundering related to the Maharashtra Sadan scam while he was in the opposition. They were released on bail by the high court in May 2018.

After their bail, the trial court allowed Bhujbal and his family to renew their passports and permitted them to travel abroad. The ED challenged this order before the HC in 2018.

However, the petitions came up for hearing before Justice RN Laddha. Since they had already travelled abroad following permission from the trial court, the petition before the HC became infructuous. Hence, ED withdrew the plea.

ED had filed case against Bhujbals in corruption case

The ED had filed a case against the Bhujbals based on a corruption case filed by the Anti Corruption Bureau. However, the trial court acquitted the Bhujbals in the corruption case while hearing their discharge pleas. Bhujbal’s son Pankaj and nephew Sameer had filed applications seeking discharge in the ED case as well; however, the same was rejected.