Maharashtra Sadan case: Chhagan Bhujbal files bail plea, claims political vendetta

In Thursday’s bail application, Bhujbal claimed that he was a victim of political and business rivalries

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal, arrested in connection with a money-laundering case, moved a bail plea on Thursday. Last year too, he filed a bail application on health grounds. It was rejected by a sessions court and the Bombay High court.

Earlier the courts rejected NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s bail plea filed last year.

In Thursday’s bail application filed through advocate Shalabh Saxena, Bhujbal claimed that he was a victim of political and business rivalries. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating the case.

Citing the letter written by the PWD department of the state government to Anti -corruption Bureau, Bhujbal said that it clearly mentioned that there was no illegality in awarding the Maharashtra Sadan project.

“No loss has been caused to the exchequer as no incentive under FSI... has been given to the developer,” read the plea.

Saxena said, “It has been a year since Bhujbal was arrested. The central agency (ED) has already filed a complaint. The investigation in the case is also completed. Hence his physical custody is also not needed.”

The PMLA court has taken the bail plea on record and asked the ED to file a reply to the plea.

Bhujbal was arrested in March last year by ED. The agency later in June 2016 filed a complaint before the PMLA court against Bhujbal his nephew Sameer and 51 other accused, which also includes Bhujbal’s son Pankaj.

The ED has alleged that from 2006 the Bhujbals and their associates’ laundered money to the tune of Rs4,264.25 crore. It further alleged that the former deputy CM laundered money to the tune of Rs 291.71 crore, while Sameer and Pankaj had laundered Rs 359.30 crore each.