Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and his son Hrishikesh asking them to get their statement recorded with the agency on August 02, in connection with the money laundering case registered against Deshmukh, officials informed on Friday. The ED's move came after the Supreme Court earlier in the day had said that it would hear on August 03, the plea filed by Deshmukh seeking protection from 'coercive action' in a money laundering case.
On July 18, ED officials had carried out searches at Deshmukh’s house in Katol town near Nagpur and his ancestral home at Wadvihira village near Katol. Next day, Deshmukh had issued a video statement and had informed that once the outcome of his petition in the apex court comes, he would himself visit the ED and would get his statement recorded.
This month, ED had also provisionally attached assets worth Rs 4.20 crore of Deshmukh and his family, held in the name of his wife Aarti Deshmukh and company Premier Port Links Private Limited under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The attached assets were in the form of one residential flat valued at Rs 1.54 crore, located at Worli and 25 land parcels of book value Rs 2.67 crore, located at Dhutum Villages in Uran, Raigad District of Maharashtra. Same day, a legal representative of the Deshmukhs had submitted some documents sought by the agency in connection with the case.
ED had initiated money laundering investigation on May 11, on the basis of an FIR under Section 120-B of IPC, 1860 and section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 registered by CBI against Deshmukh and others for allegedly attempting to obtain undue advantage for improper and dishonest performance of their public duty for collection of funds to achieve the target of Rs 100 crore per month from various bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai.
"Investigation under PMLA revealed that Anil Deshmukh while acting as Home Minister of State of Maharashtra, with dishonest intention has received illegal gratification of approximately Rs 4.70 crore in cash from various orchestra bar owners, through Sachin Vaze, then Assistant Police Inspector of Mumbai Police. Further, with the help of Delhi-based dummy companies, Deshmukh family laundered the tainted money of Rs 4.18 crore and projected it as untainted by showing the same as amount received in the Trust namely Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha," ED had claimed.
"Probe had further revealed that flat located at Worli, which is beneficially owned by Anil Deshmukh is registered in the name of his wife Aarti Deshmukh and found that entire payment was made through cash only in 2004, however, sale deed was done in month of February 2020 when Anil Deshmukh was Home Minister of State of Maharashtra. Further Deshmukh family has acquired the 50% ownership in M/s Premier Port Links Pvt. Ltd. including its assets i.e. Land & shops totally valued at approximately Rs 5.34 crore (Book Value) by merely paying an amount of Rs 17.95 lakh, that too after a substantial gap," the agency officials claimed.
ED had thrice earlier issued summons to Deshmukh, asking him to get his statement recorded in the case, but Deshmukh skipped the summons and informed that he should first be provided relevant documents of the case and copy of ECIR filed by ED against him. Deshmukh had also informed that he was ready for an audio visual interaction.
On June 25, ED had arrested Deshmukh’s personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and personal assistant Kundan Shinde under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
