He appeared before the agency around noon to record his statement, three days after the Bombay HC dismissed his plea to quash the agency’s summons in the laundering case filed against him.
He had been evading questioning by the ED for months and had exhausted his legal remedies. In the last few months, the ED had conducted raids at many places to trace Deshmukh, but without success.
ED officials were also surprised by Deshmukh’s move as he appeared before them along with his lawyer around noon. The investigating officer started questioning soon after Deshmukh’s arrival and the agency’s additional director flew in from Delhi in the evening to oversee the process.
Earlier, the ED had arrested Deshmukh’s personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and personal assistant Kundan Shinde for allegedly helping Deshmukh and his son Hrishikesh in money laundering. The ED said Deshmukh had collected Rs 4.7 crore in cash from (now sacked) Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waje through Shinde. Vaze was then heading the CIU branch of the Mumbai Police and had illegally collected money from Mumbai’s orchestra bar owners for Deshmukh.
After Deshmukh appeared before the ED, his team released a pre-recorded video message. In this, Deshmukh said that the former Mumbai Police Commissioner param bero Singh made false allegations against him and had now fled the country. In the video, Deshmukh said, “I got the ED summons, and the media wrongly reported that I was not cooperating in the investigation. Every time after ED summons, I replied to them saying that my petition is pending before HC and SC, after the result I will present myself before ED. Me, my family and our staff cooperated with the ED during the investigation.
Deshmukh also issued an unsigned statement that the ED should act in an impartial manner. “I am appearing before the ED today, Satyamev Jayate, Satyamev Jayate,” he said. He said that because of a “witch-hunting campaign” launched for vested interests, false allegations have been made by people who have “no credibility, respect or pride.”
He said that a false statement has been given that he is evading or evading from appearing before the ED.
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