Mumbai: A magistrate court in the city on Friday summoned former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in a complaint by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against him for not responding to multiple summons issued for personal appearance before it in connection with the money laundering case it was investigating. Deshmukh is expected to appear before the court on Nov 16.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate RM Nerlikar said in his order that considering the submissions made by the complainant, prime facie a case is made out against the accused.
Arguing for the agency, prosecutor Arvind Aghav had told the court that five summons were issued over months, two of which the accused had himself received while some were received by his daughter or advocate, but that he had not appeared and not cooperated with it.
The magistrate then went on to issue a process against the former minister for an offence punishable under Sec 174 of the IPC (non-attendance in an order of appearance by public servant). The summons had been issued by an Assistant Director of the agency under Sec 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act which empowers an authority to issue summons and direct production of documents and give evidence.
