ED summons Anil Deshmukh again in money laundering case

Anil Deshmukh had last time submitted a letter through his lawyer, seeking a copy of the case registered by the ED and had also asked the agency to record his statement through “any audio/visual mode of interaction”

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued third summons to former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh for recording his statement in connection with a money laundering case, as he did not turn up in person earlier.

Mr. Deshmukh has been asked to join the probe on July 5. The former State Minister had last time submitted a letter through his lawyer, seeking a copy of the case registered by the ED and had also asked the agency to record his statement through “any audio/visual mode of interaction”.

Stating that he was 72 years of age, Mr. Deshmukh said he suffered from various co-morbidities and, therefore, was vulnerable to COVID-19.

In the same case, the ED has arrested Kundan Sambhaj Shinde, the then personal assistant of Mr. Deshmukh, and his then personal secretary, Sanjeev Suryakant Palande, for their alleged involvement in money laundering. The agency informed the court that it had identified 11 companies directly controlled by Mr. Deshmukh’s family members and 13 others which are in the name of their close associates.

The ED has recorded the statements of some bar owners/managers who purportedly disclosed about a meeting with Sachin Waze, the then head of Crime Intelligence Unit of the Mumbai Police, for money collection. It is alleged that from December last year till February, Mr. Waze had collected ₹4.70 crore from bar owners/managers.

In a statement to the agency, Mr. Waze has also alleged that he was getting direct instructions from Mr. Deshmukh, the then State Home Minister, in several police investigations. He had been given a list of bar and restaurant owners for collecting ₹3 lakh per month from each bar and restaurant, as alleged. Mr. Waze alleged that he had handed over the cash to Mr. Shinde in two instalments.

The ED is also probing the role of a Nagpur-based trust, which had received Rs.4.18 crore through various Delhi-based “paper” companies.

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