In yet another setback, a Mumbai Special Court has declined default bail to ex-Minister Anil Deshmukh and two other co-accused in a corruption case, here on Monday.
Special CBI Court Special Judge S. H. Gwalani refused the default bail pleas of Deshmukh and his former aides Kundan Shinde and Sanjeev Palande.
The trio of Deshmukh, Shinde and Palande had moved the Special Court seeking a default bail contending that only a 59-page "incomplete" charge sheet without any accompanying documents, had been filed by the CBI.
The CBI had strongly opposed the bail stating that the charge sheet was complete and the court had also granted additional time to enable them to furnish all documents which had been complied with.
Appearing for the CBI, Additional Solicitor-General Anil Singh argued that the charge-sheet was complete with the names of the accused, the provisions under which they were charged and arrested, plus the lists of witnesses, evidence and enclosures in the case.
He submitted before the Special Court that the plea for default bail should have been filed before the charge sheet and after the right to default bail arose.
Deshmukh's lawyer Aniket Nikam, among other things, argued that of the three things the CBI was supposed to probe extortion from bar owners, Vaze's reinstatement and the police transfers only the first one was investigated.
Following a Bombay High Court order, the CBI had registered an FIR against Deshmukh and others on April 21, 2021 under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code for alleged corruption in matters pertaining to postings and transfers of police officials.
Shinde and Palande were arrested soon after the CBI probe started after its Preliminary Enquiry report into corruption allegations of Rs 100 crore against Deshmukh who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) early hours of November 2, 2021 under PMLA charges.
The former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had levelled the charges against Deshmukh in his March 30, 2021 letter to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, sparking off a massive political row.
One of the accused linked with Deshmukh's case dismissed cop Sachin Vaze, in custody for the Mansukh Hiran murder case, has recently turned an approver.
(With inputs from IANS)
