MUMBAI: Seeking pre-arrest bail for Hrishikesh Deshmukh, 34, the son of jailed former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, in a money laundering case, his lawyer told the special PMLA court on Monday that the accusations against him are hollow, orchestrated, fabricated and cannot be relied on to curtail his liberty. The defence said that the ED officers were acting like script writers.
Opposing his plea, ED had earlier said that Hrishikesh, with the help of Delhi-based shell companies, assisted his father in laundering tainted money and projected it as untainted by showing it as donations received by the family-owned Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha.
The defence, however, denied the allegations. Defence advocate Vikram Chaudhri called the case malicious. During arguments on the plea on Saturday, the defence had contended that since former city police commissioner Param Bir Singh was granted relief by the Supreme Court, Hrishikesh who, it said, was an innocent citizen could also be granted protection from arrest.
The hearing on the plea will resume on Thursday.
