The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday approached the Supreme Court to challenge a Bombay High Court order granting bail to ex Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh, who is behind bars in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail on corruption charges.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Deshmukh, 73, was given bail by the Bombay High Court on Monday. However, he was not released immediately since the court had kept the order in abeyance for ten days to allow the CBI to challenge it before the top court.
On Monday a single judge-bench of Justice Makarand Karnik said Deshmukh should be released on a personal bond of ₹1 lakh and at least one surety of the same amount. He was also ordered to surrender his passport to the CBI and told not to leave Mumbai without prior permission of the court.
READ | Bombay HC grants bail to Anil Deshmukh in CBI corruption case
Deshmukh was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in November last year. The central agency’s money-laundering case – registered in May last year – was based on a FIR registered by the CBI which detailed charges levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
Singh had accused him of trying to extort money from bar owners in the city via some police officials, including dismissed cop Sachin Vaze.
In a letter written to then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and others in March last year, Singh alleged Deshmukh had instructed certain cops, including Vaze, to collect ₹100 crore every month from owners of bars in Mumbai.
READ | ‘Bail order will be implemented on 11th day if…’: Deshmukh’s lawyer
The court noted that since none of the witnesses – except Vaze – had stated money was collected at the behest of Deshmukh, it would not be proper to prolong his incarceration merely on a statement by Vaze, especially since his career is shrouded in controversy.
The court also took into consideration Deshmukh’s age and medical condition.
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