In a money laundering case against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached his and his family’s assets worth Rs 4.20 Crore. The agency said that a provisional attachment order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
ED in its statement said, “Assets worth Rs 4.20 Crore of Anil Deshmukh and his family, held in name of his wife Aarti Deshmukh and company Premier Port Links Private Limited are under PMLA. The attached assets are in the form of one residential Flat valued at Rs 1.54 Crore, located at Worli, Mumbai and 25 land parcels of book value Rs 2.67 Crore, located at Dhutum Villages in Uran, Raigarh District of Maharashtra.”
The enforcement agency said it has found that Anil Deshmukh, while serving as the Home Minister, had received illegal gratification of approximately Rs 4.70 crore in cash from various orchestra bar owners through Sachin Vaze, former Mumbai Police Assistant Inspector who was dismissed after being arrested in Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiren murder cases.
Further, with the help of Delhi-based dummy companies, Deshmukh family laundered the tainted money of ₹ 4.18 Crore and projected it as untainted by showing the same as amount received in the Trust namely Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha. The statement released by ED on Friday read, “ED initiated a money-laundering investigation based on an FIR under Section 120-B of IPC, 1860 and section 7 of PC Act 1988 registered by CBI, New Delhi against Anil Deshmukh and others for attempting to obtain undue advantage for the improper and dishonest performance of their public duty for collection of funds to achieve the target of Rs.100 Crore per month from various bars, restaurants, and other establishments in Mumbai.”
“Investigation further revealed that flat located at Worli, Mumbai which is beneficially owned by Anil Deshmukh is registered in the name of his wife Aarti Deshmukh and found that entire payment was made through cash only in 2004, however, the sale deed was done in February 2020 when Anil Deshmukh was Home Minister of State of Maharashtra. Further Deshmukh family has acquired 50% ownership in M/s Premier Port Links Pvt. Ltd. including its assets i.e. Land & shops totally valued at approximately ₹ 5.34 Crore (Book Value) by merely paying an amount of ₹ 17.95 lakh, that too after a substantial gap,” it added
ED has already arrested Deshmukh’s two aides Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde in connection with the case. Meanwhile, family lawyer of Deshmukhs Advocate Inderpal Singh said, “Ms Arti Anil Deshmukh recieved the summon by ED, Wherein it was mentioned that the requested documents can be given to ED through her Representative , Which has been submitted to ED, we are cooperating with the agencies and whatever allegations are framed are baseless and False.” ED probe into Deshmukh’s financial transactions is in line with the CBI probe into former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s allegations of corruption against the NCP leader