Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Wednesday took former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh into custody from Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail in connection with an alleged corruption case.
According to an official, Deshmukh was taken into custody by the CBI team from the Arthur Road Prison in Central Mumbai and placed under arrest.
Though Deshmukh had moved High Court challenging the special CBI court’s order that allowed the central agency’s application seeking his custody, a single-judge Bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere Wednesday recused himself from hearing Deshmukh’s plea.
Deshmukh also challenged a special PMLA court order which had allowed CBI’s application and directed the superintendent of Arthur Road jail in Mumbai to hand over his custody to the CBI investigating officer.
The judge asked Deshmukh’s lawyers to mention his plea before another Bench. His lawyers are likely to mention his plea before a Bench of Justice P D Naik.
The NCP leader was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in November 2021, in connection with a money laundering case.
The CBI stepped in after the Bombay High Court on April 5, 2021, had directed a preliminary inquiry against Deshmukh, 71, after former Police Commissioner of Mumbai Param Bir Singh wrote a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and made allegations that he gave orders to Sachin Vaze, encounter specialist, to collect ₹100 crores from bars and restaurants.
Deshmukh was booked under Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Deshmukh denied the allegations but resigned from the state cabinet in April last year after the Bombay HC directed the CBI to register a case against him.