ED to summon more people in PMLA case against Anil Deshmukh as it widens probe

The Enforcement Directorate ED has widened its probe into the alleged money laundering and kickbacks case registered against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and others as it plans to soon question a number of people linked to him officials said on MondayThe criminal investigation being carried out by the ED pertains to the alleged Rs 100 crore briberycumextortion racket in the Maharashtra police establishment that led to Deshmukhs resignation in AprilThe agency on Monday questioned a deputy regional transport officer in the case here even as summonses to several other individuals from various government departments and in the personal circle of the NCP leader are expected to be issuedMaharashtra transport minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab was also asked to join the probe and was issued summons last month by the ED in this case but he skipped appearance citing his official commitmentsParab 56 is also a minister of parliamentary affairs in the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and he is understood to have sought a fortnight to depose before the agencyOfficial sources said the agency is also looking at all legal options it can exercise to get 71yearold Deshmukh to join the investigation after he got no relief against the ED action from the Supreme CourtAlso read Money laundering case ED issues lookout notice against former Maharashtra minister Anil DeshmukhThe Nationalist Congress Party NCP leader recently moved the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the summons issued against him by the EDDeshmukh has refused to comply with at least five ED summonses for questioning in the case and has instead suggested the agency to interact with him over an online link saying he was a law abiding citizenThe agency also has notified a look out circular against him soon after filing an FIR in this case in April the sources addedThe circular is notified to all the land sea and airports so that authorities deployed there are legally empowered to stop the person named on the dossier and they simultaneously inform the investigating agency about the detaineeOfficials said the ED is also looking at more assets of Deshmukh his family and others that can be attached in this case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLAAssets worth Rs 420 crore of the Deshmukh family were recently attached by the EDThe ED case against Deshmukh who was earlier the home minister in the MVA government and others came after the CBI booked him in the corruption case related to allegations of at least Rs 100 crore bribe made by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir SinghDeshmukh had said that Singh made the allegations against him after he was removed from the post of Mumbai Police CommissionerTwo aides of Deshmukh 51yearold personal secretary additional collector rank Sanjeev Palande and personal assistant Kundan Shinde 45 were arrested in JuneThe agency had claimed that while serving as the state home minister Deshmukh had allegedly misused his position and collected through suspended police officer Sachin Waze Rs 470 crore from various bars and restaurants in MumbaiThe money was then allegedly laundered by the accused to a Nagpurbased educational trust called Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan controlled by Deshmukhs family membersThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever