The special court on Friday rejected bail plea of dismissed cop Sachin Vaze’s in the money laundering case connected to former state minister Anil Deshmukh.
Special judge under the PMLA, RN Rokade, rejected Vaze’s bail application noting that prima facie the former cop’s involvement was there in the case.
The Enforcement Directorate, represented by prosecutors Sunil Gonsalves and Sriram Shirsat, had opposed Vaze’s bail application stating that he knowingly played a vital role in the offence of money laundering.
The agency had contended that Vaze has admitted the fact of collection of money from orchestra bar owners in his four statements to it over a period of months. “He therefore knowingly played a vital role in the generation of proceeds of crime and hence it is evident that he has indulged in money laundering as defined under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” the agency’s response stated.
It said further that when it began probing the case, Vaze has been in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody (in the Antilia - Mansukh Hiran murder case) and hence, the agency was not worried about his tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses by him. “If he is granted bail, he may influence witnesses and hamper the PMLA investigation as he is an influential person and having connections with highly placed political persons as well as in the police force,” it stated.
Vaze, who was never arrested by the ED in the case, had filed his bail application through advocates Sajal Yadav and Harsh Gangurde after the court took cognizance of the supplementary chargesheet filed by the agency in the case against Deshmukh, his sons and others. Vaze had been named as the main accused in the first chargesheet.
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