CBI to take custody of Anil Deshmukh, others in corruption case

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 1 : Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be taking the custody of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, suspended cop Sachin Waze and Kundan Shinde today, in the corruption case.
The Bombay High Court will be hearing, on April 8, Deshmukh's bail plea in the case. On March 25, the court granted a week's time to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to reply to the bail application filed by Deshmukh.
Anil Deshmukh was previously lodged in Arthur Road Jail.
The Enforcement Directorate in its charge sheet filed in February this year in the Rs 100 crore extortion and money laundering case said that Deshmukh has been taking undue advantage of the positions he held since 1992.
"Anil Deshmukh took the wrong advantage of his position since 1992. He made a lot of money and property through illegal means. The illegally earned money was used in 13 companies. These are either owned by his sons or his close associates," reads the chargesheet.
"Many government employees were also associated with him and he used to get work done from them," the chargesheet added.
So far, ED has recorded the statements of around 51 people in the case which include several IAS, IPS officers, CA, politicians and owners of bars.
As per the chargesheet, dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze told ED in his statement that Deshmukh demanded Rs 2 crore from him for reinstating him in Mumbai Police after 16 years of suspension.
"Waze said that many politicians were against his reinstatement. Deshmukh called him at Sahyadri Guest House on June 16, 2021 and told him that he has talked to those politicians who were against my reinstatement. He assured them that they would do 'good work' together," reads the chargesheet.
ED also said that Deshmukh was regularly getting information from Sachin Waze and they were together involved in this whole racket of extortion of collecting Rs 100 crore a month from various bars, restaurants, and other establishments in Mumbai.
ED in its chargesheet has also said that Deshmuh's family members -- son Hrishikesh Deshmukh, another son Salil Deshmukh and wife Aarti Deshmukh, are not cooperating in the investigation.
Hrishikesh Deshmukh has been summoned six times and asked to appear for the investigation but he has not appeared even once.
Salil was also summoned twice in this case for questioning but he also did not appear.
Aarti Deshmukh was asked to appear on July 14, 2021, and July 16, 2021, but she has also not appeared before the investigating agency.
The Former Maharashtra Home Minister was arrested by ED in November, last year in connection with the alleged Rs 100-crore extortion and money laundering case. He is currently lodged at Arthur Road jail in Mumbai.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had accused Anil Deshmukh of asking dismissed assistant inspector Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crore from hotels and bars in Mumbai every month.ED registered a case against Deshmukh and others based on a corruption case filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze in March 2021 in connection with the investigation into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani's house Antilia in Mumbai.