Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Friday said he extended full cooperation to Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who visited him during searches at his premises as part of a money laundering probe against him, and hoped “truth will come out”. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Deshmukh said he would continue to cooperate with investigate agencies in future too and expressed confidence that “truth will come out”.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at the premises of Deshmukh in Nagpur and his associates in Mumbai as part of a money laundering probe against the politician on Rs 100 crore bribery charges, officials said in Delhi.They said the raids are being carried out under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the locations include Deshmukh’s residence at GPO Chowk in Nagpur and that of his personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and personal assistant Kundan Shinde in Mumbai.
Deshmukh claimed former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had levelled false allegations of corruption and misconduct against him after his removal from the post in March. “Singh was removed from the post due to his suspicious role in placing an explosives-laden SUV outside businessmen’s residence. All the five police officials from the CIU (crime intelligence unit) arrested in the case reported to Param Bir Singh directly. The NIA is investigating the case,” the NCP leader said.
“Singh levelled false allegations against me after he was shunted out. The CBI investigating the case and I will cooperate,” he said. Deshmukh resigned from the state cabinet in April after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into Rs 100 crore bribery allegations levelled by Singh against the 71-year-old politician.
The ED had registered a criminal case under the PMLA against Deshmukh and others last month after studying a CBI FIR. The ED case came about after the CBI first carried out a preliminary enquiry followed by filing a regular case on the orders of the HC that asked it to look into the allegations of bribery made against Deshmukh by Singh.
Officials said the search teams are looking for additional evidence that can be important for their probe. The teams are trying to gather evidence and record statements to substantiate the claims made by about 10 bar owners to the ED that they paid about Rs 4 crore “bribe” in cash that was allegedly handed over to the former home minister, they said.
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