Special court grants bail to ex-home minister’s son, Salil Deshmukh in ED case

Mumbai The special PMLA court, on Tuesday, granted bail to Salil Deshmukh, elder son of former home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh booked by Enforcement Directorate on the charges of money laundering

Mumbai The special PMLA court, on Tuesday, granted bail to Salil Deshmukh, elder son of former home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh booked by Enforcement Directorate on the charges of money laundering.

Mumbai, India - January 8, 2020 : Salil Deshmukh (Centre), the son of state home minister Anil Deshmukh, won the Mendpajara zilla parishad seat in Nagpur district. HT PHOTO (Hindustan Times)

Salil had approached the special court on Tuesday for bail through his lawyers Aniket Nikam and Indrapal Singh, primarily on the ground that he was never arrested in connection with the case.

ED has alleged that Salil was instrumental in raising bogus share capital in Zodiac Dealcom Private Limited. He was also instrumental in infusing bogus share capital in M/s Flourish Properties Pvt. Ltd., which was controlled using dummy directors, and using the said capital to purchase lands in the name of M/s. Premier Port Links Pvt. Ltd, ED has alleged.

The ED has also accused him of having acquired shares of M/s. Premier Port Links Pvt. Ltd. for a meagre amount of ₹17.95 lakh and became 50 per cent owner over assets amounting to ₹5.34 crore of the said company.

In his plea Salil has contended that, “Since the applicant’s father has not been alleged to have committed any offence from 2011 till 2019, the question of prosecuting any other person including the applicant for the alleged offence of money laundering prior to his tenure, does not arise.”

Salil in his plea also claimed that he was never arrested by the agency, hence he is entitled to get bail.

The plea was opposed by ED counsel, stating that Salil had failed to appear before the agency when he was summoned on two occasions. Besides, ED claimed that Salil had failed to respond to the summons issued by the special court in February this year and had not appeared before it. The special court had summoned him after taking cognisance of ED’s complaint.

The court however did not consider the objections raised by the agency and granted bail to Salil observing that he was not arrested before filing of the complaint. The court also considered that Salil’s role is at par with another accused who has already been granted bail by the court.