Mumbai, Feb 16: The Bombay High Court on Monday issued notices to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the State government on a plea by former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh seeking directions to ensure that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case against him — treated as the predicate offence — is taken up expeditiously by the special court.
Plea for simultaneous progress of cases
Deshmukh has argued that the ED’s money laundering case arises from the CBI prosecution and that both matters must progress together.
Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhari, appearing for the former minister, submitted that the CBI case has been committed to the PMLA court. Citing a Supreme Court judgement, Chaudhari said: “It is well settled that if an accused is discharged in the scheduled offence, proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act cannot survive.”
ED seeks time to respond
ED counsel informed the bench that they received Deshmukh’s plea only last Friday and sought time to file a reply.
In its order, Justice Ashwin Bhobe noted that the prosecuting agency had received the application’s copy on Friday, February 13, and granted time to file a reply, with directions to serve an advance copy on the petitioner at least three days before the next hearing.
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Next hearing on March 5
The matter is scheduled to be heard next on March 5.
Deshmukh, arrested in November 2021, faces corruption allegations investigated by the CBI and a related money laundering case probed by the Directorate of Enforcement. He was granted bail by the high court in December 2022.
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