Mumbai: Former Personal Secretary of Anil Deshmukh, Sanjeev Palande, who was suspended after he was named in an alleged corruption case, has been reinstated and is posted as the Deputy Commissioner (Entertainment Tax), Konkan Bhavan, Navi Mumbai.
However, Palande faced a peculiar problem to attend his work as the Bombay High Court while granting him bail had imposed a condition that he should not leave the jurisdiction of Mumbai. Palande was required to travel to Navi Mumbai daily to attend to his duty. Palande moved a plea before the high court for modification of the condition, he needed an immediate relaxation to take over his posting. Palande's lawyer Akash Pandey, hence moved the court to permit him to travel to Navi Mumbai. The plea was opposed by the ED.
The special MP and MLA judge RN Rokade, however, observed, “It is not the case of the prosecution that the applicant has violated any of the terms and conditions imposed upon him. The applicant has already taken the charge of the Deputy Commissioner (Entertainment Tax) at Konkan Bhavan, Navi Mumbai. Having regard to the entire gamut of the circumstances, especially the factum of the reinstatement of the applicant, I am of the considered view that he is a fit case for granting permission to the applicant to travel to Navi Mumbai for attending the office at Konkan Bhavan, Navi Mumbai.”
Palande was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 26, 2021 in the money laundering case linked to former home minister Anil Deshmukh. The CBI had registered the case against Deshmukh on April 21, 2021 following a preliminary inquiry ordered by the HC. The CBI FIR was based on allegations levelled by the former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh. Based on CBI's case, ED took up the probe in money laundering in May 2021.
The case was based on the allegations made by Singh and dismissed police officer Sachin Vaze who claimed that on Deshmukh's instructions he had been collecting funds from bar and restaurant owners of the city.
