New Delhi: After 12 hours of questioning in a money laundering case, former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) late Monday, PTI reported.
The 71-year-old Shuv Sena leader was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). According to the PTI report, Deshmukh was evasive during the questioning session, and ED will be seeking his custody after producing him in a local court on Tuesday.
"We cooperated in the investigation related to a case involving Rs 4.5 crores...We will oppose his remand when he is produced before the court, today," said Inderpal Singh, lawyer of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in Mumbai.
Senior NCP leader was subjected to grilling questions in connection to the money laundering case as soon as he arrives along with his lawyer and associates at the ED office in the Ballard Estate area of south Mumbai around 11:40 am, Sources said.
Earlier, Deshmukh had bypassed at least five ED notices. However, last week, after the Bombay High Court refused to overturn the ED summonses against him, Deshmukh appeared for questioning before ED.
The money laundering case against Deshmukh and others developed after the CBI registered him in a corruption case related to allegations of bribery of at least 100 crore rupees by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
According to ED, Deshmukh is a "key person" in the case and for that reason, his questioning session went for a long time period. The agency further said that he needs to be questioned on various subjects such as the disclosures made by suspended Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze during ED questioning.
Before appearing in front of the agency, Deshmukh had released a video message in which he said that in adherence to the Bombay HC order last week he is deposing himself before the agency.
"It was reported in the media that I was not cooperating with the ED...I went to the CBI twice after I was summoned...my petition is still pending in the Supreme Court but it will take time and hence I myself have gone to the ED," Deshmukh was quoted by PTI in its report.
"I and my family cooperated with the ED when they raided us (in June)," he said.
In its judgement issued on October 29, Bombay HC said that Deshmukh had failed to prove that the probe against him conducted by the agency is malafide in nature. The court further observed that if Deshmukh is arrested either by ED or CBI, he has a right like any other citizen to approach the appropriate court to seek protection.
However, Bombay HC directed ED to allow Deshmukh's lawyer to be present at a "visible distance but not audible distance" during the questioning.
(With inputs from PTI)