Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning earlier on Tuesday, has been sent to ED custody till November 6 in connection with extortion and money laundering case by a PMLA court. 

Deshmukh, 71, was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) with officials claiming that the senior NCP leader was evasive during questioning.

The ED sought his custody after producing him before a local court today. Meanwhile, Deshmukh’s lawyer had said that he will oppose his ED remand before the court.

Deshmukh to oppose ED’s remand before the court today

“We cooperated in the investigation related to a case involving Rs 4.5 crores…We will oppose his (Anil Deshmukh) remand when he is produced before the court, today,” Inderpal Singh, lawyer of Deshmukh told reporters.

The NCP leader had appeared before the agency after the Bombay High Court last week refused to quash ED summonses against him after he skipped at least five notices.

Param Bir Singh, the Mumbai Police Commissioner, in his letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had alleged that Deshmukh had asked sacked assistant inspector Sachin Waze to extort over Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai every month. 

Has sought a transparent, fair and objective probe

Rejecting his allegations, Deshmukh said that Singh made the allegations against him after he was removed from the post.

Deshmukh has alleged that a false narrative is being created by “vested interests” that he is avoiding appearance before the ED. He has also sought a transparent, fair and objective probe into the matter without any fear or favour.

Attacking Param Bir Singh he said that “unscrupulous persons are themselves knee-deep involved in several rackets of corruption” and the principal person who held the high office of Commissioner of Police is now a wanted absconding criminal.

Why did ED arrest Deshmukh?

In his statement to the ED, Waze alleged that the ex-Maharashtra minister had demanded Rs 2 crore to convince Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar over his reinstatement.

In January 2021, the tainted police officer claimed that he had handed over 5 bags containing Rs 1.6 crores outside Sahyadri State Guest House and Deshmukh’s personal assistant Kundan Shinde collected it. Shinde is already under arrest. 

A month later, he handed over Rs 3 crores in 11 bags. This money was collected illegally from bar owners operating in India’s financial capital.

Based on these inputs, ED attached assets worth Rs 4.2 crores of Deshmukh in July this year.