In a major setback to Maharashtra's former home minister Anil Deshmukh, the Supreme Court has dismissed his plea seeking protection from penal action in money laundering case.
Deshmukh had moved Supreme Court in July seeking protection from any coercive action in a money laundering case.
Deshmukh is being probed by the ED in a case of alleged extortion from orchestra bars in the state. ED had issued summons to the 71-year-old NCP leader and his son Hrishikesh Deshmukh seeking their appearance.
The attached assets include a residential flat of value Rs 1.54 crores at Mumbai's Worli and 25 land parcels of Rs 2.67 crores at a Dhutum Villages in Uran of Maharashtra Raigarh district.
The ED has alleged that Rs 4.7 crore collected from orchestra bars by dismissed cop Sachin Waze, allegedly on Deshmukh's instructions, was transferred to the former minister's Nagpur-based educational trust by his son, who routed it via two hawala operators and showed it as a donation.
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court has also issued a notice to the Maharashtra government on an application filed by the CBI, seeking a direction to the state to provide documents needed for the agency's probe. The court said it would issue a notice to the state government and directed public prosecutor Aruna Kamat Pai to respond to the claim that CBI officers were threatened.
The HC on July 22 held that the CBI can inquire into the allegations of corruption in transfers and postings of police personnel and dismissed a petition filed by the Maharashtra government, seeking that some parts of the central agency's FIR against Deshmukh be quashed.
(With inputs from agencies)
