Anil Deshmukh’s personal secretary, assistant arrested by ED sleuths

Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh’s personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and assistant Kundan Shinde were produced before the court by Enforcement Directorate on Saturday. Pic/Bipin Kokate

In the wee hours of Saturday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh's personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and assistant Kundan Shinde. The arrests were made after a search operation at the house of Deshmukh in connection to a money laundering case.

At the time of their remand, the ED told the court that a total of Rs 4.70 crore has been collected from beer bars in Mumbai, which was transferred through hawala to various companies, including an NGO named Sai Shikshan Sanstha. This NGO is being run by the family members of Deshmukh, and Kundan is also a member of it.

After arresting Palande and Shinde, the ED had called Deshmukh to the office on Saturday, but his lawyer reached with an application. Deshmukh's lawyer has sought the next date for his appearance before the agency.

ED's counsel Sunil Gonsalves told the court that the agency has taken statements of the bar owners in which they confessed that they had given R40 lakh to Sachin Waze as a token of good luck. At that time, Waze was head of the Crime Intelligence Unit.

Bar owners gave a total of Rs 1.64 crore from Zone 1 to 7 of Mumbai Police and Rs 2.66 crore from Zone 8 to 12 to Waze. Waze has confessed in his statement to the ED that he has given Rs 4.77 crore to Shinde from December 2020 to February 2021.

Advocate Gonsalves told the court that Shinde is instrumental in collecting money from Waze and passing it to Deshmukh. Shinde was helping Deshmukh in laundering the money.

ED also said that during the probe so far, 11 companies revealed to have been controlled by Deshmukh's family members. Another set of 13 companies, which are close associates of Deshmukh, were also controlled by him and his family members. It added that various bank accounts were analysed to find the money trail and search operations were conducted at six residential and office premises of directors and shareholders of the said companies.

Advocate Shekhar Jagtap, appearing for Palande, told the court that Palande was only personal secretary to the minister appointed by the state of Maharashtra. He was deputed by the general administration department and he had a limited role in the former Home Minister's office.

Waze was arrested by NIA for allegedly murdering Mansukh Hiren. "Waze is an accused in this case, so how are all his statements being considered true? All these allegations are being made to save some person," Jagtap added.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh had accused Deshmukh of collecting Rs 100 crore.

To investigate these allegations, the state government constituted the Justice Chandiwal Commission. Due to these allegations, Deshmukh had to step down from the post of Home Minister.

Rs 100 CR
Amount Anil Deshmukh is accused of collecting