Money laundering case: Anil Deshmukh’s son applies for pre-arrest bail

Hrishikesh Deshmukh, son of former home Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh, on Saturday moved the Mumbai sessions court for pre-arrest bail

Hrishikesh Deshmukh, son of former home Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh, on Saturday moved the Mumbai sessions court for anticipatory bail. Hrishikesh, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the fifth time on November 5, failed to appear before the agency.

ED has arrested Anil Deshmukh on November 2 after he joined probe in the money laundering case against him. His son Hrishikesh on Saturday moved the Mumbai sessions court for pre-arrest bail. (PTI)

“We have moved an anticipatory bail application on behalf of Hrishikesh,” said advocate Vikram Chaudhri, who appeared for Hrishikesh Deshmukh along with advocates Inderpal Singh and Aniket Nikam. “The agency had last summoned him on August 15. Two-and-a-half months later, they have suddenly summoned him again. Apprehending arrest, this application has been moved.”

As ED sought time to reply to the plea, additional sessions judge Prashant Sitre posted the plea for hearing on November 12.

The pre-arrest bail plea reads: “The entire proceedings are actuated with malice. The whole edifice of the ECIR and consequential investigations initiated by the ED pale into insignificance in view of the contents of the FIR registered in Goregaon police station for extortion in which dismissed police inspector Sachin Vaze has clearly mentioned that ‘Number 1’ is Param Bir Singh.”

It added: “In such circumstances, the manner in which the allegations have been twisted against the applicant and his father and the investigations have thus commenced in a shady manner certainly warrants the interference of this court to remedy the wrong committed against the applicant.”

Hrishikesh’s plea further stated that it was a matter of record that on account of a witch-hunt campaign launched at the instance of certain vested inimical interests, “some blatantly false allegations have been levelled by those persons (Sachin Vaze and Param Bir Singh) who have absolutely no credibility, honour or pride.”

“These unscrupulous persons are themselves knee-deep involved in several rackets of extortion, fraud and even murder. The principal person who held the high office of Commissioner of Police is now a wanted absconding criminal. The ED has been citing some properties which were purchased by the father Anil Deshmukh fifteen years ago when the applicant was a teenager. The agency has changed its stand in last few days before various courts and is now treating them as suspect to accused based on same material available before it. The agency has neither arrested Surinder Jain or Virender Jain the alleged hawala operators in the case and the agency was adopting a pick and choose method. The applicant fears arrest like his father if he appears before the agency and prays for pre-arrest bail,” the plea added.

ED has arrested Anil Deshmukh on November 2 after he joined probe in the money laundering case against him.