Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday took former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh into custody from Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail in connection with corruption allegations raised against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh on April 21st, 2021, an official said. Deshmukh was taken into custody by the CBI team from the Arthur Road Prison in Central Mumbai and placed under arrest, the official said.
Deshmukh had earlier approached the Bombay High Court challenging a special court order allowing the CBI to take him into custody in connection with its probe into corruption allegations against him. Deshmukh, in his petition filed through advocate Aniket Nikam on Monday, had also challenged the application filed by the CBI seeking his custody. The senior NCP leader’s plea is listed for hearing before a single bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere on Wednesday.
On April 1st, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had allowed the agency to take custody of Deshmukh, his personal secretary Vijay PalandeVaz and personal assistant Kundan Shinde, all arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case, from Arthur Road jail where they are currently lodged. The CBI took custody of Palande and Shinde, but could not take in Deshmukh as he was admitted to Sir JJ Group of Hospitals on April 2nd after he allegedly had a fall in the jail on March 30th, resulting in a shoulder dislocation.