'Maharashtra cabinet minister used to meet Anil Deshmukh with list of cops for transfer'

Anil Deshmukh. File pic

A Maharashtra cabinet minister used to send a list of police officers of the rank of ACP and above for the purpose of transfers and postings to then state home minister Anil Deshmukh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the Bombay High Court citing the statement of Sanjeev Palande, the ex-personal secretary of Deshmukh.

Palande, an additional collector-rank official, used to send this "unofficial list" to the Police Establishment Board as per Deshmukh's instructions, the ED stated in an affidavit filed on Friday opposing Palande's petition for quashing a money laundering case lodged against him.

Citing Palande's statement, the ED also claimed that a minister also used to meet with the then home minister (Deshmukh) with a list containing the names of police officials and respective places where they have to be transferred along with the names of concerned MLAs and MLCs from the Shiv Sena.

Besides, Palande was also instrumental in arranging meetings between dismissed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze and Deshmukh to discuss the possibility of increase in the money collected from bar orchestra owners, the affidavit said.

Palande has admitted in his statement to the investigating agency that one cabinet minister used to send a list of police officials for the purpose of transfers and postings to Deshmukh. They used to be the officers of the rank of ACP and above, the ED stated.

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Palande was arrested by the ED in June this year. He is presently in judicial custody. Nearly three months after his arrest, the Maharashtra government suspended him.

Deshmukh was arrested in a money laundering case earlier this month. The NCP leader too is in judicial custody.

In his petition, Palande alleged that the money laundering case registered against him was politically motivated and he was falsely implicated.

In the affidavit, the ED said that Palande had not approached the HC with clean hands.

"The petitioner (Palande) was instrumental in passing on the instructions of Anil Deshmukh, the then home minister of Maharashtra, to Sachin Waze with regard to collection of tainted money from Orchestra Bars and assisted Anil Deshmukh in money laundering activities as defined under section 3 read with section 4 of the PMLA," the affidavit said.

The ED stated that Palande had admitted in his statement that one cabinet minister used to send a list of police officials of the rank of ACP and above for the purpose of transfers and postings to Anil Deshmukh.

Palande used to send this "unofficial list" to the Police Establishment Board as per Deshmukh's instructions, the affidavit alleged.

"Further the petitioner in his statement dated 27.06.2021 has stated that a minister also used to meet with the Home Minister with the list containing the names of police officials and respective places where they have to be transferred along with the names of concerned MLAs and MLCs from Shiv Sena,¿ the ED said.

The Shiv Sena heads the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi goernment also containing NCP and Congress.

The ED had initiated a probe against Deshmukh and his associates after the CBI filed an FIR against the senior Nationalist Congress Party leader on April 21 on the charges of corruption and misuse of official position.

Waze was arrested for his alleged role in parking an explosives-laden SUV outside the south Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani in February this year and for the subsequent murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, the purported owner of that SUV

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