Maharashtra: ED raids former minister Anil Deshmukh’s house in money laundering case

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), probing an alleged money laundering case against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, on Thursday recorded the statement of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Raju Bhujbal who is presently the in-charge of the enforcement wing of Mumbai Police and has the social service branch under his jurisdiction.

The social service branch conducts check and raids on pubs, hookah parlours, dance bars, bars, and restaurants. In March, after being shunted out of the city police, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh had alleged corruption charges against Anil Deshmukh in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and had filed a petition before the Bombay High Court as well, saying Deshmukh had asked former assistant inspector Sachin Vaze to extort around Rs 100 crore a month and a majority of it had to come by targeting bars and restaurants.

Singh in his letter had mentioned the name of Vaze and ACP Sanjay Patil who were allegedly asked by Deshmukh to extort money on monthly basis especially from bars and restaurants and the target given to them was Rs 100 crore a month.

Following this, the CBI conducted a preliminary inquiry and registered an FIR against Anil Deshmukh. Searches were then conducted at Deshmukh and his close associates’ residences. ED then registered a money laundering case against him and started a probe in connection with the case. ED is likely to summon many others including police officials in the case before Deshmukh is questioned by the agency.