The Enforcement Directorate has issued a lookout circular against Deshmukh after he skipped at least five summons issued by the agency in connection with a money laundering investigation.
Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis, said former home minister Anil Deshmukh should appear before the Enforcement Directorate and complete all proceedings instead of evading their summons.
While reacting to the news about ED issuing a lookout notice against Deshmukh, he said, “I learnt about this development just now from the media. I think he (Deshmukh) should present himself before the ED and help complete the investigation.”
The central probe agency issued the notice after Deshmukh skipped at least five summons issued by the agency in connection with a money laundering investigation against him. A look out circular is typically issued to prevent a person from leaving the country. Such a circular remains valid upto to a year or till the requesting law agency cancels or renews it.
The ED is probing the financial transactions of Deshmukh and his family. According to a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) filed by the agency, Deshmukh, while acting as the home minister, “received illegal gratification of approximately Rs 4.7 crore in cash from various orchestra bar owners” through now dismissed Mumbai Police assistant inspector Sachin Waze, who has been arrested in the Ambani terror scare case.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had also refused to give Deshmukh interim relief from coercive action. On September 2, Deshmukh had approached Bombay High Court seeking quashing the summons issued by the ED against him.
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