New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches Friday at the premises of former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in Nagpur and here as part of a money laundering probe against him, officials said. They said the raids are being carried out under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the locations include Deshmukh’s residence in Nagpur. It was not known if Mahesh Deshmukh, 71, was available at the premises.
The central probe agency had registered a criminal case under the anti-money laundering law against Deshmukh and others last month after studying a CBI FIR. The ED case came about after the CBI first carried out a preliminary enquiry followed by filing a regular case on the orders of the Bombay High Court that asked it to look into the allegations of bribery made against Deshmukh by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. Officials said the search teams are looking for additional evidence that can be important for their probe.
The agency’s probe is focused on the allegation that illicit funds were generated in the transfer, posting of police personnel in Maharashtra and if illegal extortion was done by the cops as claimed by Singh in his complaint.
The ED has powers to attach assets of the accused during the investigation stage. Then it can later file charge sheets against them before a PMLA court for trial.
Singh was shunted out from the prime post after the role of policeman Sachin Vaze surfaced during investigation of the explosive-laden SUV that was found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in Mumbai.
In his letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after he was removed from the Police Commissioner’s post, Singh had alleged that Deshmukh had asked Vaze to extort over Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants of Mumbai.
Deshmukh, a politician of the NCP, was the home minister of Maharashtra in the MVA government headed by Thackeray. He had resigned in April after these allegations were made against him.
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The CBI booked Deshmukh and others under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections related to criminal conspiracy and section of Prevention of Corruption Act for ‘attempt to obtain undue advantage for improper and dishonest performance of public duty’.
The CBI enquiry found Vaze, assistant inspector of Mumbai Police, had been reinstated into the police force after being out of service for more than 15 years. He was entrusted with some of the most sensational and important cases of Mumbai city, and Deshmukh was in knowledge of the said fact, the CBI FIR alleged.
It alleged that Deshmukh ‘and others’ exercised undue influence over the transfer and posting of officials and thereby exercising undue influence over the performance of official duties by the officials, it claimed.
After registering the FIR on April 21, the CBI had also carried out searches in Mumbai and Nagpur at premises linked to the former minister who had resigned after the high court had ordered a CBI probe against him in connection with this case.