HC transfers special judge hearing ED case against Anil Deshmukh to Yavatmal district

MUMBAI: Special judge HS Satbhai, who was hearing the applications of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for remand of former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in a money laundering case and other cases pertaining to MPs and MLAs, has been transferred to Yavatmal district by the Bombay High Court with immediate effect.

He had been hearing cases pertaining to MPs and MLAs since July this year at the sessions court here.

On Monday, judge Satbhai had remanded Deshmukh in 14-day judicial custody.

Besides Deshmukh's case, judge Satbhai was also hearing a case against Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Sadan scam and discharged the latter.

Deshmukh was arrested on November 1 by the ED under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In a notification issued on Monday, the Bombay High Court said it was pleased to transfer and post H S Satbhai, Judge, City Civil Court and Additional Sessions Judge, Mumbai as District Judge, 2 and Additional Sessions Judge, Kelapur, district Yavatmal with immediate effect.

Yavatmal district in east Maharashtra is located 685 km away from Mumbai.

Judge Satbhai recently discharged Bhujbal and others in the Maharashtra Sadan case, observing that there was no "substantial material" to suggest that he and his kin received any kind of "illegal gratification" in the contract for constructing new Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi.

Judge Satbhai was also hearing the pre-arrest bail plea of former Shiv Sena MP Anand Adsul in a case pertaining to an alleged scam in a cooperative bank.

He was also hearing the alleged Pune land deal case involving former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse, an NCP leader.