Ex-Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh Arrested In Extortion Case, In CBI Custody Now

CBI has taken former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh into their custody in an extortion case.

Former Home Minister of Maharashtra Anil Deshmukh (File Photo/Getty Images)

New Delhi: The Central Bureau Of Investigation has taken former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh into its custody Wednesday. This comes after the Bombay High Court refused to hear the plea of Deshmukh challenging a special court order allowing the CBI to take him into custody in connection with its probe into corruption allegations against him.

The court directed that the plea be placed before another bench. After the court's order, the investigative agency took Deshmukh into their custody from Arthur Road Jail where he is currently lodged. The central agency had lodged a case of extortion against him. He will be produced before CBI Court today.

On March 31, a special CBI court allowed an application filed by the CBI and permitted it to take into custody Deshmukh and three others - Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde (Deshmukh's former aides) and dismissed cop Sachin Waze.

Deshmukh, Palande and Shinde are in judicial custody following their arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case late last year.

Waze is in jail after his arrest by the NIA in the Antilia bomb scare-Mansukh Hiran killing case.

The CBI on Monday arrested Waze, Shinde, and Palande and they were remanded to the agency's custody till April 11 by a court here. The central agency, however, could not take Deshmukh (71) in custody as he was admitted to the state-run JJ Hospital on April 2 following a shoulder dislocation.

Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had in March last year alleged that Deshmukh, the then-home minister, had given a target to select police officers in Mumbai to collect Rs 100 crore per month from restaurants and bars.

Deshmukh had denied the allegations.

The CBI had lodged an FIR after conducting a preliminary inquiry against the NCP leader following an order of the Bombay High Court in last April. After the HC order, Deshmukh had resigned from the cabinet.

After CBI filed an FIR, the Enforcement Directorate also launched a probe against Deshmukh on charges of money laundering. Deshmukh was arrested in November 2021 by the ED and was in their judicial custody till today.

(with PTI inputs)