Anil Deshmukh’s former PA gets bail in money laundering case

A court on Wednesday granted bail to Kundan Shinde, personal assistant to former home minister Anil Deshmukh, in a money laundering case, on the grounds that in view of the inconsistencies in statements of dismissed police officer Sachin Waze chances of conviction were bleak

A court on Wednesday granted bail to Kundan Shinde, personal assistant to former home minister Anil Deshmukh, in a money laundering case, on the grounds that in view of the inconsistencies in statements of dismissed police officer Sachin Waze chances of conviction were bleak.

Mumbai, India - June 26, 2021: Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh’s PA Kundan Shinde (white shirt) outside ED Office. Both, PS Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde were arrested late night in the money laundering case by Enforcement Directorate at Ballard Estate in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, June 26, 2021. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

Waze’s statements – given to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and before Justice KU Chandiwal Commission – were inconsistent as he had gone back on his claim, and said Deshmukh had not demanded money from him, the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court said.

Advocate Inderpal Singh, appearing for Shinde, said ED suppressed the statements of hoteliers who had clearly said that no money was demanded by Deshmukh from them.

Shinde, however, will not come out of jail immediately, as he is yet to get bail in the connected corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

ED registered the Enforcement Case Information Report against Deshmukh and others on May 11, 2021, based on the FIR by CBI. ED arrested Shinde and Deshmukh’s personal secretary, Sanjeev Palande, on June 26.

The agency claimed Waze had revealed that on Deshmukh’s instructions he had held a meeting with some bar owners in the Criminal Intelligence Unit office of Mumbai crime branch and between December 2020 and February 2021, collected ₹4.70 crore from them. Waze said he had handed over the cash to Shinde in two instalments, ED said.

The central agencies claimed that Shinde and Palande passed on the then home minister’s instructions to Waze. Waze has been arrested by the National Investigation Agency in connection with the Antilia explosives scare and connected murder of Thane trader Mansukh Hiran.