Laundered Money Deposited In Anil Deshmukh's Family Trust In The Garb Of Donation

The Enforcement Directorate in an affidavit to the Bombay High Court opposed the bail application of former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and called him the "mastermind and brain" behind the money laundering conspiracy, stating that he had misused his official position to amass wealth. The agency alleged that Deshmukh exercised undue influence in police transfers and postings adding that his bail plea was devoid of merits. "The applicant (Deshmukh) is the mastermind of the entire conspiracy hatched with his son Hrishikesh Deshmukh, Sachin Waze (dismissed police officer), Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde (Deshmukh's former aides)….the applicant is the main conspirator and the brain behind the whole conspiracy to collect money from bars and restaurant owners," the affidavit said. "Deshmukh has not cooperated with the probe and was not able to explain the source of the wealth and was hiding the actual facts," it said. Deshmukh approached the Bombay HC for bail after his application on merits was rejected by the Special PMLA Court. A bench of Justice Anuja Prabhudessai will hear his plea tomorrow. Deshmukh was arrested in the case on November 3, 2021. Regarding corruption in police transfers and postings which is being investigated by the CBI, the ED said that Deshmukh would send an unofficial list of the names of police officials and the places they had to be posted, however, no record was maintained for this. "The applicant in consultation with one cabinet minister used to prepare a list of names of police officials for the purpose of transfer and postings, which used to be unofficially forwarded to the additional chief secretary, Home and the head of the Police Establishment Board," the ED said. The agency called its probe at a "nacent stage" and claimed that bail would hamoer the investigation. Deshmukh was arrested in the case on November 3, 2021. Reiterating initial allegation by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, ED claimed that dismissed cop Sachin Waze was called by Deshmukh several times and was repeatedly instructed give him a cut of Rs. 100 crores based on collection from restaurants and bars. ED emphasized that Waze had handed over Rs. 4.70 crore of the collection money to Kundan Shinde. According to ED the money was deposited as donations to a Nagpur-based trust owned by the Deshmukh family through hawala. "Scrutiny of the records of the trust 'Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha' revealed that the applicant has been actively using the modus operandi to launder his unaccounted cash," the ED said. "Investigations revealed that the applicant in connivance with his family members has laundered unaccounted cash money totally amounting to Rs 13.25 crore. This was deposited later in the Trust in the garb of donation, since 2011," the affidavit alleged. Deshmukh has been using this modus operandi of infusing cash as share capital through shell companies and projecting the same as legitimate has built a formidable empire of businesses, the ED said.

Laundered Money Deposited In Anil Deshmukh's Family Trust In The Garb Of Donation

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