Bombay HC grants bail to ex-Maha minister Anil Deshmukh in money laundering case

The Bombay high court on Tuesday granted bail to former Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate.

The bail was granted on a surety amount of ₹1 lakh. The ED has sought a stay on the operation of the order for two weeks.

Deshmukh was arrested in November last year and had approached the high court after a special PMLA court had rejected his bail application earlier this year.

Though Deshmukh has been granted bail in the ED case, he will remain in custody in connection with the CBI case registered against him in April last year.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the HC to hear and decide the NCP leader’s plea expeditiously as it was pending for six months.

Deshmukh’s lawyers Vikram Chaudhari and Aniket Nikam said that considering the senior NCP leader’s age (72), health and the fact that he had no criminal antecedents, he should be granted bail.

Opposing the bail, additional solicitor general Anil Singh, appearing for the agency, said Deshmukh did not suffer from any ailments that cannot be treated at jail hospital.

The ED had booked him after the CBI registered a corruption case against him following allegations made by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, claiming that the NCP leader misused his official position and collected money worth crores from various bars and restaurants in Mumbai.