ED files petition in a special court seeking action under section 174 of IPC against Anil Deshmukh
Mumbai:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved a court here against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh for failing to appear before the probe agency despite being summoned several times in a money laundering case.
The ED yesterday filed a petition in a special court seeking action against Deshmukh under IPC section 174 (non-compliance with order of public servant). This section shall be punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both.
The investigating agency had issued several summons to Mr. Deshmukh in the money laundering case registered against him. However, NCP leaders have so far failed to appear before it.
Two associates of Mr. Deshmukh – Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde – have been arrested in the case. He is currently in judicial custody.
Apart from these two, the probe agency has named sacked Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze as an accused in its chargesheet filed recently. However, Mr. Deshmukh or his family members have not been named as accused in the chargesheet.
The ED launched an investigation against Mr Deshmukh and his associates after the CBI filed an FIR against the NCP leader on April 21 after accusing former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh of corruption.
Mr Singh had alleged that Mr Deshmukh had asked Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crore every month from city bars and hotels, a charge denied by the former minister.
Mr Deshmukh resigned as a minister in April this year.
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