The Supreme Court on Monday refused to intervene and grant interim relief to former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who was seeking protection from arrest in a money-laundering case.
A three-judge Bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar said Mr. Deshmukh was free to access other remedies available to him under the law.
Mr. Deshmukh’s counsel said the case was a classic “political witch-hunt”. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Enforcement Directorate, countered that there were serious allegations of money laundering in the case.
The top court was hearing a batch of pleas, including those challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED had earlier issued summons to the 71-year-old NCP leader in connection with a criminal case registered under the PMLA related to an alleged ₹100-crore bribery-cum-extortion racket that led to Mr. Deshmukh’s resignation in April.
The ED case against Mr. Deshmukh and others was registered after the CBI had lodged a corruption case related to allegations of bribery made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
In his letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after he was removed from the post, Mr. Singh alleged that Mr. Deshmukh had asked suspended Mumbai police assistant police inspector Sachin Waze to extort over ₹100 crore a month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.
