The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday submitted a supplementary chargesheet against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in a case related to money laundering and corruption, PTI reported.
The agency filed the chargesheet before a special Mumbai court designated to hear cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The chargesheet also names the former state home minister’s sons Hrishikesh and Salil Deshmukh, The Times of India reported.
On August 23, the Enforcement Directorate had filed its first chargesheet, in which the agency had named Deshmukh’s aides Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde. Palande is the politician’s private secretary, while Shinde is his personal assistant.
The agency arrested Deshmukh, who is a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, on November 1 in connection with the case. He is currently in judicial custody.
The Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet filed on Wednesday has the statements of Deshmukh, former state chief secretary Sitaram Kunte and ex-Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh, among others, according to The Times of India.
Singh has accused Deshmukh of extorting money from the owners of bars and restaurants in Mumbai. He has also alleged that dismissed assistance police inspector Sachin Vaze told him that Deshmukh had asked him to collect Rs 100 crore every month through illegal channels.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has also alleged that the former Maharashtra home minister used his position to exercise “undue influence” over the transfer and postings of police officers.
The Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet reportedly also has statements of about a dozen police officers who allegedly got their postings on Deshmukh’s recommendation during his tenure as the home minister.
On December 22, a court in Delhi also directed the CBI to conduct an investigation into the role of the NCP leader in a case related to the leaking of the agency’s preliminary inquiry report.
A purported preliminary inquiry report that was leaked did not mention any cognisable offence against Deshmukh. But the CBI found that the politician’s lawyer had allegedly bribed the agency’s official to manipulate this report “in an attempt to subvert the case”.
Though Deshmukh has constantly denied any impropriety, he resigned from the state Cabinet on April 5 after the Bombay High Court directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations against him.
On April 8, the Supreme Court had dismissed the Maharashtra government and Deshmukh’s petitions to cancel the CBI inquiry against him.
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