Deshmukh's aide says his arrest 'gross abuse' of law, seeks bail

Kundan Shinde an aide of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Thursday moved a bail application in a special court here claiming his arrest in a money laundering case and continued incarceration was gross abuse of the process of lawThe court directed the Enforcement Directorate ED probing the case to file its response to Shindes bail plea on November 1Shinde who worked as a personal assistant PA of Deshmukh when the Nationalist Congress Party NCP leader was state home minister was arrested in June last year by the ED for his alleged role in the money laundering caseThe other accused in the case include Deshmukh 71 and dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin WazeIn the bail application filed through advocate Inderpal Singh Shinde said his arrest and continued incarceration was gross abuse of the process of law and denied allegations levelled against himAlso read SC refuses to interfere with bail to Anil Deshmukh in money laundering caseIt reflects the apathy and insensitivity with which the premier investigating agency has reduced its process to an instrument of oppression for oblique motives the plea saidFurther the application stated that there is absolutely no material available on record against the accused as apart from wild vague and unsubstantiated allegations leveled by Waze no material exists to even remotely associate the applicant Shinde with the knowledge about commission of any offence by his coaccusedThe ED has claimed Waze in his statement stated Deshmukh introduced him to Shinde during a meeting at the thenhome ministers official residence in MumbaiWaze had also disclosed the manner in which he collected Rs 47 crore between December 2020 and February 2021 from bars and restaurants in Mumbai at the behest of Deshmukh adding the amount was handed over to Shinde then his PA on multiple occasions according to the central agencyHowever Shinde in his bail application alleged conspiracy against himTherefore it would be imperative to rely on circumstances and evidence of sterling quality as well as of unimpeachable character that may implicate the applicantNone of such circumstances or materials exist said the applicationThe plea questioned the credibility of Waze who is currently in jail in another case and statements given by himHis statements made before the ED are wholly iquestunreliable and have no creditworthiness whatsoeveriquest the applicant said while seeking reliefThe EDs case is that Deshmukh while serving as home minister misused his official position and collected Rs 470 crore from various bars and restaurants in Mumbai through Waze who was then an assistant police inspectorThe money was allegedly laundered through the Nagpurbased Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha an education trust controlled by Deshmukhs familyThe NCP leader has refuted the allegations levelled against him and claimed the EDs case was solely based on malicious statements given by Waze to the antimoney laundering agencyThe Bombay High Court has granted bail to the veteran politician in the caseThis 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