The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted interim protection from arrest to former Maharashtra minister and senior NCP leader Hasan Mushrif in a money laundering case. Mushrif had appealed in the high court after a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) rejected his anticipatory bail on Tuesday.
During the hearing, the Bombay High Court asked the Enforcement Directorate to file a reply but the ED sought some time after which the court granted interim relief to Mushrif till April 27.
It also said that that Mushrif has been cooperating with the investigation and hence his custody was not required by the ED.
The MLA from Kagal Assembly constituency in Kolhapur had served as rural development minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
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In his petition in the high court, Mushrif has claimed of being targeted by his political rivals, spearheaded by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya.
"The manner in which the complaint is registered clearly indicates malafide intent and the applicant (Mushrif) apprehends that the complaint would be used to put him behind bars in order to achieve oblique political conspiracy," the petition said, as reported by PTI.
The ED's probe is based on an FIR registered in Kolhapur and a complaint filed by the Registrar of Companies concerning allegations with regard to the allotment of shares of Sarsenapati Santaji Ghorpade Sugar Factory to farmers against deposits of Rs 10,000, reported the news agency.
The central probe agency claimed that the amount collected from 40,000 farmers was diverted to various "fake and shell" companies registered in the name of Mushrif's three sons.