ED arrests two aides of ex-Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in money laundering case

ED officials said that the two aides of the former home minister were found to be not cooperating with the investigating officers, even after around nine hours of questioning at the central probe agency's Ballard Estate office in Mumbai.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested two aides of former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), news agency PTI reported on Saturday, citing officials familiar with the development. Deshmukh's personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and personal assistant Kundan Shinde were arrested in connection with the charges of money laundering against the politician who allegedly took a bribe of up to ₹100 crore.

Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh. (ANI)

ED officials said that the two aides of the former home minister were found to be not cooperating with the investigating officers, even after around nine hours of questioning at the central probe agency's Ballard Estate office in Mumbai. Next, they will be produced at a special PMLA court in Mumbai later in the day, where the ED will seek their custody for custodial interrogation, the news agency reported.

Earlier, the sleuths had raided the offices of the two men and that of Deshmukh, one in Mumbai and another in Nagpur. Around eight ED officials arrived at Deshmukh’s residence at 7.30pm along with a team of Central Reserve Police Force personnel and began the search. No one was allowed to enter the house and the search continued till the filing of this report.

The ED is investigating allegations of money laundering against Maharashtra's former home minister Anil Deshmukh. The probe was ordered after former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh accused Deshmukh of ordering some policemen to collect ₹100 crore from businesses.

Deshmukh was forced to resign as the state home minister after the allegations surfaced.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which also raided Deshmukh’s residence in Nagpur in April, has filed a First Information Report against Deshmukh under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code’s Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy). On May 11, ED filed a criminal case under the anti-money laundering law against Deshmukh.

(With inputs from PTI)