Maharashtra ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh walks out after 14 months in jail

MUMBAI: After almost 14 months behind bars, former Maharashtra home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh, 73, was released from Arthur Road jail on Wednesday evening. NCP leaders, half-a-dozen party MPs, MLAs and hundreds of party members greeted him as he emerged from prison, shouting slogans, holding placards and showering petals on him.
Deshmukh walked out of jail after the Bombay high court vacation bench on Tuesday declined the CBI's plea for a second extension of the HC order deferring bail to the former minister.
Besides his family members, Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, leader of opposition Ajit Pawar, state NCP president Jayant Patil, party MP Praful Patel and former ministers Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil welcomed Deshmukh as he came out of prison. He was then taken in an open-top jeep to the Siddhivinayak temple and later to his residence in Worli.
Holding a copy of the Constitution, Deshmukh said from atop the jeep, "I have not committed any crime but was put in jail. I have faith in the Constitution of India and got justice from the court. All allegations against me are baseless."
NCP greets Deshmukh with ‘Satyameva Jayate’ placards
Speaking to mediapersons after being released from jail on bail, former state home minister Anil Deshmukh thanked NCP president Sharad Pawar for his support. "All the cases against me are fabricated. Investigating agencies failed to provide evidence against me," he said.
"(Former Mumbai police chief) Param Bir Singh had made an allegation of Rs 100 crore against me but later submitted an affidavit before Cha-ndiwal saheb (Justice Chandiwal Commission) in which he stated he had made the allegation on hearsay and there was no proof to support it," he said.
On March 20, 2021 , Singh had written a letter to then CM Uddhav Thackeray alleging "corrupt malpractices" by Deshmukh, saying he had set a target of collecting Rs 100 crore from bar and restaurant owners in the city and given the task to then API Sachin Waze.
After a preliminary enquiry, CBI, on April 21, 2021, filed an FIR against Deshmukh and others under the Prevention of Corruption Act and for criminal conspiracy. On May 11, 2021, based on a CBI FIR, Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a money-laundering case against Deshmukh and arrested him on November 2, 2021.
On Wednesday afternoon, the special court issued the release order for Deshmukh after the surety-related formalities were completed. Among the bail conditions imposed earlier, Deshmukh was directed to report to CBI office every Tuesday between 10am and 12pm for one month from the date of release. "The applicant (Deshmukh) shall remain within the area of Greater Mumbai till the trial is concluded and shall not leave the area wi-thout permission of the competent court. The applicant shall surrender his passport to trial court, if not already surrendered," the court said.
From 3pm, NCP workers, carrying party flags and 'Satyameva Jayate' placards, began gathering outside Arthur Road jail. At 4.55pm, Deshmukh stepped out of jail and the road outside was shut for some time as he and other NCP leaders and party workers walked from one end of the road to the other. Personnel from N M Joshi Marg and Agripada police stations as well as SRPF were deployed for bandobast. Earlier in the day, Sunil Chandramore, senior inspector of N M Joshi Marg police station, had issued a notice to advocate Nilesh Bhosale, president of NCP's youth wing, asking him not to carry out a bike rally citing law and order concerns.
Deshmukh's daughter Pooja, who was among the family members who welcomed him, said: "We are overwhelmed th-at he is out after 14 months. Ju-stice has finally been served.
Pawar said in the first chargesheet, it was alleged there was corruption of Rs 100 crore; in the second, it was brought down to Rs 4.5 crore; and in the final chargesheet, it was Rs 1.5 crore. Following this, the court observed there was no irregularity. "It was gross abuse of power by central agencies. In my opinion, it was for PM Modi to examine the circumstances under which an honest politician like Deshmukh was lodged in jail. Court has given justice, soon we will meet Modi to explain him the gross abuse of power," Pawar said.
Ajit Pawar said: "...The truth will come out. Once a case was registered against him, he had no option but to follow the judicial and legal system. As HC has banned him from leaving Mumbai, we are consulting his lawyers for relief in view of the ongoing winter session of the state legislature."