Ex-Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh Sent To 14-Day Judicial Custody In Money Laundering Case

The NCP leader was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 1 after over 10 hours of extensive questioning in the alleged Rs 100 crore extortion case.

ED officials take former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh for medical test at JJ Hospital after he was arrested. (Getty Image)

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Home Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh was sent to 14-day judicial custody in an alleged money laundering case on Saturday. According to reports, Deshmukh was presented before a holiday court earlier in the day which sent him to judicial remand till November 19.

The NCP leader was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 1 after over 10 hours of extensive questioning in the alleged Rs 100 crore extortion case based on an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Mumbai | Special PMLA court sends former home minister of Maharashtra Anil Deshmukh to 14-day Judicial custody. He was arrested on Nov 1 in a money laundering case. pic.twitter.com/1RYKGoXa6F

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2021

The ED has filed its case against Deshmukh after the former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had alleged that the minister had tasked cop Sachin Vaze and others to collect Rs 100 crore from several hotels and bars in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Mumbai's Esplanade Court sent Waze to police custody till 13th November in connection with the extortion case.

Mumbai's Esplanade Court sends Sachin Waze (in red t-shirt) to police custody till 13th November in connection with an extortion case.

(File Pic) pic.twitter.com/CCUXLDCKHt

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2021

Following Singh's letter to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray in March, the ED and CBI had carried out multiple raids on Deshmukh and family, and the ED sought his 14 days custody citing "non-cooperation".

Deshmukh refuted the ED charges saying that whenever he was summoned, he had replied to them, provided documents, etc and said that he would appear after the outcome of his various court appeals.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress have castigated the ED and termed it as a "politically motivated move" aimed to destabilise the three-party government.

The ruling alliance had also questioned the Centre on the whereabouts of the "missing" Mumbai Police Commissioner who hurled the allegations .against Deshmukh.

Responding to MVA's remarks and allegations, BJP leaders have warned that the next target would be Shiv Sena Minister Anil Parab, with many more to follow soon.