Mumbai court rejects Sachin Vaze's plea seeking to drop proceedings against him in corruption case

A special court has rejected the application of dismissed policeman Sachin Vaze for dropping proceedings against him in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) corruption case involving senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh. 

Vaze had turned a prosecution witness in the case and claimed the same as the main ground seeking that he be released from custody in the case. He had claimed that other accused in the case have been granted bail and he, being a witness, is being treated like an accused.

Vaze calls himself 'victim of circumstances'

He had sought that the court permit him to make arguments himself on the plea. Last week, while arguing it in person before the court, he had called himself a “victim of circumstances” and cited two cases that were lodged against him when the “centre and state” were having issues. 

The CBI had strongly opposed his plea and said that he is still an accused approver in the case and is listed as a witness who is yet to be examined. “He continues to be an accused. His position will continue till the termination of the trial,” special public prosecutor Raja Thakare had submitted to the court during the hearing.

Vaze instructed by Deshmukh to collect money from resto bars

As per the CBI’s case, Deshmukh, then the state’s home minister, had instructed Vaze to collect illegal monies from the city’s resto bars for being allowed to operate at flexible timings during the pandemic induced lockdown. Two close staff of Deshmukh are also accused in the case for helping in collection of the tainted money by facilitating the collections.