On Wednesday, 6th April 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took Anil Deshmukh into its custody from Arthur road jail in Mumbai in connection with a corruption case.
CBI had sought permission from a special CBI court to arrest Anil Deshmukh. The court had allowed the central agency to take Anil Deshmukh into its custody. Anil Deshmukh moved the high court challenging the order of the special CBI court. A single-judge bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere recused herself from hearing his plea. A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court had ordered the superintendent of Arthur road jail in Mumbai to hand over Anil Deshmukh’s custody to the CBI. Anil Deshmukh had also challenged this order.
Last week, the special CBI court at the Mumbai sessions court had allowed the probe agency to take custody of Sachin Vaze, Sanjeev Palande, Kundan Shinde, and Anil Deshmukh in connection with the extortion case in which these four are accused of grossing a sum of Rs 100 crore per month. Accordingly, two assistants of Deshmukh – Palande, and Shinde – along with Sachin Vaze, were arrested by the CBI on Monday 4th April 2022. The three were produced before a special CBI court in Mumbai after their arrest and the court granted CBI to take the three accused into custody for seven days.
But the main accused in the case, Anil Deshmukh, was suddenly rushed to JJ Hospital after his health reportedly deteriorated. Deshmukh was discharged on 5th April 2022, following which he knocked on the doors of the high court to avoid his arrest by CBI. However, the premier investigative agency arrested the former Maharashtra Home Minister on Wednesday.
Deshmukh was booked under Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The ED had initiated a probe under money laundering charges against Anil Deshmukh who was in trouble due to a letter written by former Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh to the chief minister. Last year, the ED registered had a case against Deshmukh and arrested Deshmukh after 12 hours of interrogation. Since then he has been in Arthur road jail. On 29th December 29, 2021, the ED filed a supplementary charge sheet against Deshmukh and the other accused in a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Deshmukh has filed a plea for bail in the HC after the Mumbai sessions court rejected his bail application. It is scheduled to be heard next week.