The Enforcement Directorate has moved the Supreme Court against the grant of bail to NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh in a money laundering case.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter for urgent listing. Chief Justice of India Justice Uday Umesh Lalit then asked the Solicitor General to mention the matter at 2 pm after the petition is filed.
The NCP leader was granted bail by the Bombay High Court last week in the case filed by the central probe agency. While Deshmukh had secured the bail in the ED case, he was to remain in custody in connection with the CBI case registered against him in April last year.
Earlier during a hearing, the 72-year-old had told the high court that the case against him was based on “presumptions”. While the original allegation, he had said, was of him collecting ₹100 crore, the agency has been able to track the money trail of barely ₹1.70 crore, news agency had reported earlier.
The statements of several accused – recorded by the probe agency – were doubtful, especially that of former Mumbai top cop Sachin Waze, who had said that he was acting on behalf of “number one” which was presumed to be him.
Deshmukh was arrested in the money-laundering case registered by the ED in November last year.
Amid the pursuit of bail, he had also moved the top court when he said that the delay in hearing his bail plea was causing him prejudice. After this, the Supreme Court had directed the high court to hear his application expeditiously.