Special PMLA Court Sends Anil Deshmukh to ED Custody Till 6 November

Deshmukh had been produced before the special court earlier in the day, hours after he was arrested by the agency.

Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on the intervening night of Monday (1 November) and Tuesday (2 November), after more than 12 hours of questioning. Image used for representation purpose.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A Special PMLA court in Mumbai on Tuesday, 2 November, sent former Maharashtra Minister Anil Deshmukh to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till 6 November in connection with extortion and a money laundering case.

Deshmukh had been produced before the special holiday court earlier on Tuesday, nearly 12 hours after he was arrested by the agency.

ASG Anil Singh, representing ED, on Tuesday claimed to have strong evidence against the former home minister. The agency had sought custody of at least 14 days to investigate further.

Meanwhile, Advocate Vikram Chaudhari, appearing for Deshmukh clarified that the petition in this case is still pending in Supreme Court and also stated that the former politician has not been keeping well.

Considering his age, he should not be taken into custody as he is ready to cooperate with the agency, Chaudhari had argued before the court.

The court on Tuesday allowed Deshmukh's application for home food and medicines during his ED custody. It has also permitted the presence of his lawyer during the interrogation by the agency.

Deshmukh, 72, who had been incommunicado for nearly two months had 'voluntarily' appeared along with his lawyer before the ED offices on Monday morning. After a 13-hour grilling, Deshmukh was placed under arrest at around 1 am on Tuesday morning.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

The leader of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had stepped down from the post of home minister in April this year after he was accused of corruption by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh.

Singh had alleged that Deshmukh had asked the former Assistant Police Inspector in Mumbai Police, Sachin Vaze, to collect Rs 100 crore from hotel owners in Mumbai.

He was reportedly refused relief by the Bombay High Court on Friday in his plea for the cancellation of the summons issued by the probe agency.