MUMBAI, Aug 17: The ED has issued fresh summons to former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh to appear before it on Wednesday in connection with a money laundering case probe against him and others, official sources said.
His son Hrishikesh has also been issued a similar notice for appearance, they said.
The development comes a day after the Supreme Court refused interim protection to the 71-year-old NCP politician from any coercive action by the federal agency.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar, however, had said that Deshmukh was at liberty to access remedies.
A legal expert said this meant the politician can approach a high court seeking anticipatory bail or a similar relief.
Deshmukh, sources said, had been asked to depose before the investigating officer of the case on August 18 at the ED office located in south Mumbai.
This is the fifth such summon notice to Deshmukh.It has been issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as the agency wants to further record his statement in this case, the sources said.
Deshmukh had skipped the last such appearances for questioning in the case, calling the ED action unjustified.
His son Hrishikesh and wife too were summoned and they also did not appear.
Deshmukh has last month issued a video statement stating that he would appear before the ED “after” the apex court’s decision on his petition.
“I had received ED’s summons after which I filed a petition in the Supreme Court. I will go to the ED to record my statement after the SC’s decision on my petition,” Deshmukh had said. The summonses were issued in connection with the criminal case registered under the PMLA related to an alleged Rs 100 crore bribery-cum-extortion racket in the Maharashtra police establishment that led to Deshmukh’s resignation in April.
The agency raided Deshmukh’s premises in Mumbai and Nagpur in June apart from that of his aides and some others.
It subsequently arrested two of his aides, personal secretary Sanjeev Palande (51) and personal assistant Kundan Shinde (45). The Enforcement Directorate’s case against Deshmukh and others was made out after the CBI booked him in a corruption case related to allegations of at least Rs 100 crore bribery made by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh. The ED recently also attached assets worth Rs 4.20 crore of Deshmukh and his family. The ED had claimed its probe found that “Deshmukh, while acting as home minister of Maharashtra, with dishonest intention has received illegal gratification of approximately Rs 4.70 crore in cash from various orchestra bar owners, through Sachin Waze, then the assistant police inspector of Mumbai Police.” (PTI)
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