Tag: corruption case

  • Maharashtra government suspends Anil Deshmukh’s ex-personal secretary months after arrest in corruption case

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Nearly three months after his arrest, the Maharashtra government has suspended Sanjeev Palande, an additional collector-rank officer who was personal secretary to former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, in connection with a corruption case.

    Palande was arrested on June 26 this year and is being investigated under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    A government order issued on September 16 said that Palande was sent to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody on July 7 and then to judicial custody.

    He has spent more than 48 hours in custody and as per the Maharashtra Civil Services Rules, he stands suspended since the time of his arrest on June 26 till further orders.

    Palande ‘s headquarters during his suspension period will be at Mumbai city district collectorate and he will not be able to leave Mumbai city district without prior permission of the collector, it said.

    The order said the ED has informed the state government about Palande’s arrest and custody through a letter on August 31.

    He was arrested in connection with money laundering charges against Deshmukh, an NCP leader.

    Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had alleged that Deshmukh had asked police officer Sachin Waze top collec Rs 100 crore from city bars and hotels every month, a charge which the former minister has denied.

  • Ex-Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh fined Rs 25,000 for not appearing before inquiry commission

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: An inquiry commission headed by a retired high court judge has imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh for not appearing before it.

    The Maharashtra government in March this year formed a one-member commission of Justice (retd) Kailash Uttamchand Chandiwal to conduct a probe into corruption allegations levelled by Singh against the then state home minister Anil Deshmukh.

    As Singh failed to appear before the commission on Wednesday, a fine of Rs 25,000 was imposed on him, a government lawyer said on Thursday.

    During the previous hearing, the probe panel had given Singh the “last chance” to appear before it.

    This is the second instance of fine being imposed on Singh.

    In June, the commission had asked the senior IPS officer to pay a fine Rs 5,000 for not appearing before it despite a summons.

    The amount was to be deposited in the Chief Minister’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.

    Days after he was shunted out as Mumbai police commissioner and transferred to the Home Guards in March, Singh claimed in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that Deshmukh used to ask police officers to collect money from restaurant and bar owners in Mumbai.

    Deshmukh, an NCP leader, has denied the allegations.

    The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate are probing the allegations made against Deshmukh by the senior IPS officer.

  • Anil Deshmukh feels ED’s investigation against him unjustified, hence not joining probe: Lawyer

    The ED had earlier issued multiple summonses to Anil Deshmukh, asking him to record his statement.

  • CBI probe against me illegal, even Kasab got benefit of rule of law: Ex-minister Anil Deshmukh to HC

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh told the Bombay High Court on Friday that the ongoing CBI inquiry against him over corruption charges was illegal and in breach of legal procedures, and said even 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab got the benefit of the rule of law.

    Deshmukh’s counsel, senior advocate Amit Desai, told the HC that though the CBI inquiry was initiated following a high court order in April, the central agency did not seek prior sanction from the Maharashtra government to prosecute the NCP leader, who was at the time a public servant.

    This absence of sanction made the inquiry against Deshmukh, on the charges of corruption and misconduct, “illegal,” Desai said.

    “Can you bypass the requirement of law? The State could have been approached (for sanction). Therefore, the entire enquiry is illegal,” Desai said.

    “We may be carried away by emotion but we cannot bypass the procedure and the rule of law. Even a person like Kasab got the benefit of the rule of law in this country. Everyone in this country gets the benefit of the process of law,” he said.

    Desai was arguing before a bench of Justices SS Shinde and NM Jamadar that was presiding over a plea filed by Deshmukh challenging the FIR registered by the CBI against him in the aftermath of corruption allegations made against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

    In April this year, a bench led by HC chief justice Dipankar Datta had directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry against Deshmukh, who resigned from the state cabinet after the order.

    This inquiry was to be based upon a complaint lodged at the Malabar Hill police station in Mumbai by a lawyer, Jaishri Patil.

    In her complaint seeking a probe against both Deshmukh and Singh, Patil had also attached a copy of the letter written by the IPS officer to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray making allegations against the NCP leader.

    The CBI subsequently lodged an FIR against Deshmukh on charges of corruption and misconduct.

    The agency said in its FIR that Deshmukh had knowledge of the reinstatement of former assistant police inspector Sachin Waze (who is in jail in a criminal case), and that as the home minister he used to exercise undue interference in transfers and postings of state police officers.

    On Friday, advocate Desai told the HC that though the preliminary inquiry was in accordance with the HC order, the CBI breached the process of law in registering the FIR against Deshmukh.

    Desai said section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act mandated that the police or any other investigating agency procure a prior sanction to prosecute a public servant.

    The bench, however, pointed out that section 17A protected an officer’s conduct that was in discharge of his or her official duties.

    It said the CBI had said in its affidavit filed in the case that by allegedly indulging in corruption, and interfering in transfers, Deshmukh had not been discharging his official duties.

    Desai, however, argued that according to the CBI’s FIR, all of Deshmukh’s acts, including his knowledge of Waze’s reinstatement, were in discharge of his public duty.

    “According to your (CBI’s) own FIR, I was acting in my official position. Then wouldn’t the bar of 17A apply?” Desai said.

    He further said at mere knowledge did not constitute an offence.

    Desai said the FIR was based merely on “whispers” and allegations.

    “Allegations are made against anybody and everybody. If every allegation is to be believed then there will be total anarchy,” Desai stated.

    The HC will continue hearing the plea on July 5.