CBI, ED can take Wadhawans’ custody: Home minister

Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh announced that the Maharashtra Police would hand over DHFL promoters Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan to the Central Bureau

Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh announced that the Maharashtra Police would hand over DHFL promoters Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday afternoon for further investigation into the Yes Bank fraud case.

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The central agencies have sought custody of the brothers after they were detained by Satara police for violating lockdown restrictions two weeks ago.

In his Facebook live address on Wednesday morning, Deshmukh said the 14-day quarantine of the businessmen brothers would end on April 22, after which their custody can be sought by the central agencies.

“We have written to both the central agencies that they can take custody on Wednesday afternoon. They [Wadhawans] are at a school in Panchgani [in Satara district] completing their mandatory quarantine,” he said.

The Wadhawan brothers and 21 other family members were detained by Satara police on March 7 after they illegally travelled to Mahabaleshwar from Khandala during the lockdown. To cross the district borders, they had provided a letter issued by Amitabh Gupta, principal secretary (special) in the home department, who is now facing an inquiry.

The Wadhawans and family members have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Disaster Management Act 2005. The CBI had obtained non-bailable warrants against the two on March 17.

In a letter, dated April 17, the deputy inspector general of CBI and the assistant director of ED were requested by the Satara superintendent of police Tejaswi Satpute to take necessary action by April 22.

Meanwhile, the brothers have obtained interim protection from arrest till May 5 from the special CBI court. The court has granted them protection considering their arrest is not possible during the Covid-19 lockdown. “We have written to the central agencies to take over custody anytime from now. It is up to them to decide when to act on our request,” a home department official said.