MUMBAI: The Supreme Court verdict is being viewed as a major setback both for former home minister Anil Deshmukh and his party, the NCP. A full bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice A M Khanvilkar declined to grant any interim relief though Deshmukh has been granted liberty to access remedies under the Criminal Procedure Code.
NCP spokesperson and skill development minister Nawab Malik reacted cautiously to the SC order. “It’s a fact that the Supreme Court has rejected his application for interim relief, but he has the option to examine remedial measures. Deshmukh will consult his lawyers and decide the future course of action,” Malik said.
For the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, the SC order will raise more questions of corruption charges against its senior leaders. The NCP believes that the former home minister’s arrest is imminent and that securing bail may be a long drawn-out process. After Chhagan Bhujbal, Deshmukh was the second senior NCP leader to be booked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Another senior, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, is also under scrutiny by the ED in a case concerning the acquisition of a Rs 65-crore sugar factory.
Bhujbal was booked for his alleged role in the Maharashtra Sadan scam, while Deshmukh is being investigated following former Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh’s letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray that Deshmukh had set a target of Rs 100 crore for dismissed inspector Sachin Waze to extort from restaurant and bar owners in Mumbai. “NCP’s image has already been tarnished. Now, the dent will be bigger,” a senior NCP leader said.
Ever since the ED has registered a case against Deshmukh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the fugitive ex-home minister has been dodging the agency; despite a summons issued to him on four occasions, he has failed to show up. He did allow himself to be questioned initially by the CBI once, but since then, he has cited the pandemic and his age as the reasons for staying away.
Deshmukh’s contention is that instead of summoning him to the ED office, the agency should record his statement via video conferencing. But this plea has not been accepted. According to a top NCP leader, Deshmukh may now seek anticipatory bail. The ED has already arrested his private secretary Sanjeev Palande and personal assistant Kundan Shinde.
