The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted a search operation at the house of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in the money laundering case. The raids took place at Deshmukh’s home in Nagpur, Mumbai and few more places connected to him. Deshmukh’s personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and personal assistant Kundan Shinde were also called at the ED office in Mumbai for questioning.
Sources say that ED has tracked the whole money trail of how Deshmukh collected money from Mumbai bars. The agency found money trail of Rs 4 crore from a dozen of bar owners. This money was collected by arrested and suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze. Later this money was diverted to several shell companies that would finally reach Deshmukh. These companies located outside Maharashtra belonged to relatives of Deshmukh.
Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said, “We are not threatened by ED action on Anil Deshmukh. They have started a new trend to threaten with agencies like CBI & ED.”
Earlier in April, the CBI had conducted raids at four premises of Deshmukh after registering an FIR against him in connection with the case. An FIR was filed based on section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) and criminal conspiracy (IPC 120 B).
During the searches, the CBI recovered incriminating documents and digital devices, sources confirmed.