The court said that the probe showed that Deshmukh had received illegal gratification to the tune of Rs 4.7 crore collected in cash by dismissed cop and co-accused Sachin Waze from bar owners between December 2020 and February 2021. (Representational) IN THE detailed order issuing summons against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, a special court has said that prima facie he has “actively integrated his unaccounted cash money into the banking channel since 2011”. The court made the observation while taking cognizance of the supplementary chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Deshmukh, his two sons, Hrishikesh and Salil, and nine others. It said that Deshmukh had laundered unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 10.42 crore, based on the chargesheet filed by the ED.
The court said that all the accused have been directly and knowingly involved in money laundering and a prima facie case is made out against them based on the documents placed on record in the chargesheet filed last month. The court said that the probe showed that Deshmukh had received illegal gratification to the tune of Rs 4.7 crore collected in cash by dismissed cop and co-accused Sachin Waze from bar owners between December 2020 and February 2021.
It was claimed that Deshmukh, in connivance with his son Hrishikesh, transferred the money through hawala to co-accused Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Kumar Jain. The amount was then allegedly transferred to the account of Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha, a trust controlled by the Deshmukh family, under the garb of a donation. The court said that the documents showed that further Rs 1.71 crore was transferred in February-March 2021 through shell companies by the Jain brothers and subsequently into the accounts of the trust.
“During the course of further investigation, it is revealed that Anil Deshmukh has also laundered his unaccounted cash money to the tune of Rs 1.12 crore using the above explained modus operandi, transferred the said amount to Surendra Kumar Jain and Virendra Kumar Jain and thereafter, received the said amount in the bank account of Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha during the year 2020. Anil Deshmukh has actively integrated his unaccounted cash money into bank channel since the year 2011. He had laundered his unaccounted cash money to the tune of Rs 10.42 crore in the bank account of the Sanstha in the garb of donation through Delhi-based paper companies of Surendra and Virendra Kumar Jain,” Special Judge R K Rokade said in his order.
Based on the chargesheet, the court said that Hrishikesh’s role has been that of infusing bogus share capital in a company controlled using dummy directors, purchasing land using the capital in the name of another company and then acquiring shares in the company. Salil, stated the court, was also similarly instrumental in raising bogus share and both were directly involved in the offence of money laundering.
In his bail plea filed recently, Deshmukh has said that the ED case is based on the statement of Waze, who himself has been booked in multiple criminal cases and has given contradictory statements denying that he ever took bribes on the minister’s instructions. The ED chargesheet also names a chartered accountant, Bhavik Panjwani, who the agency claims had facilitated layering and placement of the unaccounted cash of Deshmukh. The other accused are the shell companies.
The court had last week issued summons to the accused under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Currently, Deshmukh and his two staffers arrested earlier are in judicial custody. The others will have to remain present before the court to respond to the summons. Hrishikesh’s anticipatory bail plea is pending before the special court.
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