Corruption probe: ED raids Anil Deshmukh-controlled college in Nagpur

Param Bir Singh had alleged that Deshmukh had asked cops to extort ₹100 crore every month from bars and restaurants. Following the allegations, HC asked CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry

In its pursuit to dig out evidence in an alleged corruption case against former Maharashtra home minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted fresh raids on an engineering college known to be controlled by him on Friday.

Anil Deshmukh, who is now in Delhi, was not available for comments. His personal assistant confirmed that ED had seized some documents from the college on Friday afternoon. (HT File)

Deshmukh, who is now in Delhi, was not available for comments. His personal assistant Yogesh Kothekar confirmed that ED had seized some documents from the college on Friday afternoon.

According to the available information, around noon, a team of four ED officers and about 20 armed Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel reached the Nagpur Institute of Technology, Fetri, which is about 15km from Nagpur.

The college is run by Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha, which is headed by Deshmukh. His wife Aarti is the organisation’s vice-president, while his eldest son and zilla parishad member Salil is its secretary. Deshmukh’s youngest son Hrishikesh is the organisation’s executive committee member.

The entire college premise was cordoned by CRPF jawans, and ED officers seized several documents and questioned the institute’s employees. The team left the spot with the seized documents around 3.30pm.

People aware of the developments said that no member from the Deshmukh family or his close relatives were present in the college during the ED raid.

This is the third ED raid on Deshmukh’s property in Nagpur. Last month, ED had raided Deshmukh’s ancestral houses at Wadvihira and Katol in Nagpur district in connection with the alleged ₹100-crore extortion case. ED also raided his Nagpur residence at Civil Lines in June.

Former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh had alleged that as the Maharashtra home minister, Deshmukh had asked suspended police officer Sachin Vaze – arrested in the Antilia explosives scare and Mansukh Hiran murder case – and other cops to extort ₹100 crore every month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai. Following the allegations, the Bombay high court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary inquiry.

The agency registered a first information report (FIR) against Deshmukh in April, after which he stepped down as the minister “on moral grounds”. The ED, which was also invited to join the probe, arrested Deshmukh’s personal assistant Kundan Shinde and personal secretary Sanjeev Palande in June.

Shinde is also one of the trustees of Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha, along with other members of the Deshmukh family. The trust runs engineering, MBA and polytechnic colleges at Fetri. Upon scrutinising the trust’s bank statements, ED said there are a number of cheque entries in the recent past amounting to approximately ₹4.18 crore, which was received from various Delhi-based companies. It is found that they are paper (bogus) companies and only work for providing transfer entries.

ED has stated that it is apparent that Deshmukh, by virtue of his earlier position as Maharashtra home minister, received amounts to the tune of approximately ₹4.70 crore from owners and managers of bars for their “smooth functioning” and the bribe money was apparently used by him through his son Hrishikesh for providing cash to Delhi-based paper companies. After layering the money, it was routed to the trust in the form of donations.