Maharashtra: Anil Deshmukh PA says didn’t collect money from Sachin Waze

MUMBAI: Former home minister Anil Deshmukh’s personal assistant Kundan Shinde and dismissed cop Sachin Waze differ on the Rs 4.7 crore tainted money that went into the account of the minister’s education trust.
Shinde, during questioning by the Enforcement Directorate, reportedly denied collecting Rs 4.7 crore cash from now-dismissed API Waze, but Waze during his custodial interrogation countered it by providing key details to support his claim, sources said.
The ED had recorded Waze’s statement a second time last Saturday and Sunday, confronting him about Shinde’s claim. Waze reportedly shared details of the location where he handed over the cash to Shinde and provided other details.
Waze, in his earlier statement, told ED he gave the money to Shinde. The ED arrested Shinde and Deshmukh’s PS Sanjeev Palande recently. During questioning, Shinde reportedly denied collecting money from Waze, which prompted ED to confront Waze.
Earlier, ED had recorded the statement of bar owners who said they had collected money between December 2020 to February 2021 from others too and contributed their share. They handed over Rs 4.7 crore to Waze. ED sources said the agency had evidence that support’s Waze’s claim.
An officer said, “ED has evidence to connect the chain of the transaction. From the collection of Rs 4.7 crore to its diversion into Deshmukh’s Nagpur’s trust account as a donation.”
Advocate Kamlesh Ghumre for Deshmukh said Waze had given a different statement in his affidavit before the commission, compared to the one recorded by the agencies. “In the affidavit, Waze doesn’t say anything about giving money to Deshmukh or his PA,” he said.