ED MAY LAUNCH MONEY LAUNDERING PROBE AGAINST FORMER MAHA HM

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to launch a money-laundering probe against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on the basis of a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Mandated to probe financial aspects in a scheduled offence, the central anti-money laundering the agency is currently analysing the CBI case, which claims that Deshmukh and “unknown others” used their official position to obtain an undue advantage, as well as influenced the transfers and postings in the Mumbai Police, as alleged by former city police commissioner Param Bir Singh. CBI conducted a raid at the premises of Anil Deshmukh on Saturday.

Singh said that Deshmukh had asked suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze, currently behind bars in the 25 February Antilia explosives scare case, as well as the alleged murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran on 5 March, to collect Rs 100 crore every month from hotels, bars and restaurants in Mumbai. The Bombay high court had asked CBI to look into the allegations as part of a preliminary enquiry. The premier anti-corruption agency found “prime facie” truth in these allegations after which the PE was converted into a regular case (FIR) on 21 April and agency teams raided Deshmukh’s residences in Mumbai and Nagpur on Saturday.