Court sends Deshmukh, two aides, Vaze to judicial custody

MUMBAI: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Saturday remanded former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, his personal secretary Sanjeev Palande, personal assistant Kundan Shinde and dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze — arrested in connection with a corruption case registered against the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader — to 14 days judicial custody.

The agency sought extension of Deshmukh’s CBI custody remand for three more days, contending that the police officers, who allegedly secured transfers or postings by paying bribes to Deshmukh and others, had to be identified and the NCP leader’s presence was required, as he had to be confronted with

Anil Deshmukh

these officers. However, the special court rejected the CBI plea stating that sufficient custody has already been granted to the agency, and the grounds mentioned in its remand application were “not good and satisfactory.” The CBI had taken the custody of 73-year-old NCP leader on April 6 from Arthur Road jail. The CBI took custody of the other three on April 4 from Arthur Road and Taloja jails.

On Saturday, the CBI produced all four before the special court and sought judicial custody remand for Palande, Shinde and Vaze, as the agency had already exhausted their 15 days police custody remand.

Deshmukh’s counsel Aniket Nikam opposed the plea for extending the NCP leader’s custody. Special CBI judge DP Shingade accepted his contention and rejected CBI’s plea for three days extension in Deshmukh’s CBI custody.

The CBI had registered the corruption case against Deshmukh on April 21, 2021, based on allegations levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

In a letter written to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on March 20, 2021, Singh had alleged that Deshmukh instructed certain Mumbai police officers, including Vaze, to collect an amount of ₹100 crore every month from Mumbai’s restaurants and bars.

HT FILE PHOTO