In a big relief to former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh, Supreme Court rejected the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) appeal challenging the Bombay High Court’s order granting bail to Deshmukh in a corruption case.
The appeal was rejected by a 3-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud.
In December last year, the CBI had approached the top court challenging the Bombay HC’s order granting bail to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader in a corruption case after he spent 13 months in jail.
It should be noted that the High Court had granted bail to the former Maharashtra minister on December 12 but said the order would become effective after 10 days, as the CBI sought time to challenge the order in the Supreme Court.
The high court had said except for dismissed police officer Sachin Waze’s statement, none recorded by the CBI indicated money was extorted from bar owners in Mumbai at the behest of the politician.
Deshmukh was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in November last year. CBI’s money laundering case registered in May last year was based on a FIR registered by the CBI which detailed charges levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
Singh had accused him of trying to extort money from bar owners in the city via some police officials, including dismissed cop Sachin Waze. Also charges that he took money for transfers and postings of police officers.
