Express News Service
MUMBAI: The arrest of former Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh seems to be inevitable. The ED has issued fresh summons to Deshmukh to appear before it on Wednesday in connection with a money laundering case probe against him and others.
Anil Deshmukh had approached the Supreme Court to avoid the arrest by the ED. However, the apex court refused to give relief to Deshmukh last Tuesday in this money laundering case.
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.
“We have investigated the money trail that connected to Deshmukh and his family. The money earned through IPS transfer and other illegal means are reflecting on the bank accounts and we want to verify the details that were unearthed by us during the probe. Therefore, Deshmukh’s presence during the probe is very crucial, but he has been refusing to attend the probe despite the last several summonses,” he said requested anonymity.
He said that if Deshmukh again refuses to attend the probe on Wednesday, then ED may issue a lookout notice against Deshmukh. “He will then be arrested to continue the probe,” he added.
Anil Deshmukh, personal secretary Sanjeev Palande in his statement with ED has admitted that they used to make money in the transfer of police officers.
BJP leader Atul Bhatkalkar said accused the former Maharashtra home minister of away from the probe. “This is very shameful that Anil Deshmukh is not cooperating with ED for its probe in money laundering case,” Bhatkalkar said.
On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government in its affidavit said that CBI was demanding an irrelevant document that has nothing to do with the Anil Deshmukh case. It stated that CBI can conduct the probe as per the directions of the court, but not as per its own wish.
ED on Tuesday also filed Prosecution Complaint against another Opposition former MLA Vivekanand Shankar Patil and Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd, Panvel. Vivekanand Shankar Patil has been a four-time MLA and also Ex-Chairman of Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd, Panvel.
It was found that the management of the bank was under the control of Vivekanand Patil. ED arrested him on June 15 of this year in a Money laundering case that revealed fraud of approximately Rs. 560 Crore (including interest) in respect of 67 fictitious accounts. To hide the siphoning, the available funds were routed to these fictitious accounts and from these accounts to the several bank accounts of entities founded/controlled by Patil.
These funds were utilized by Karnala Charitable Trust, Karnala Sports Academy, etc. for construction of properties such as Sports Complex, College and Schools and for other personal gains, thereby using the proceeds of crime and projecting the same as un-tainted in contravention of the offense of money laundering.
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