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Special Court quashes NCP Leader Anil Deshmukh’s Bail Plea

Nishka Srinivas Veluvali

Published On: January 18, 2022 at 11:08 IST

A Special Court in the Money Laundering Case rejected the Default Bail Plea filed by the former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

The NCP Leader was taken into Custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 02, 2021 and is in Judicial Custody at present.

The NCP Leader in his Bail Plea stated that the Special Court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Cases did not take note of the Charge-Sheet filed by the ED before confining him for further Judicial Custody.

The Plea stated that as the Court did not take the cognizance of the Charge-Sheet within the stipulated period that is 60 days from the Arrest so he is entitled to Default Bail as per Section 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Section 167 of CrPC states that if the cognizance of the Charge-Sheet is not taken within the stipulated time (60 days from filing) then an Accused can seek for Default Bail.

However, the ED opposed this argument and informed the Court that the Charge-Sheet had been filed within the stipulated timeline.

The Central Agency on December 29, 2021 filed a 7,000-page supplementary Charge-Sheet in the Money Laundering Case against Anil Deshmukh and his sons.

ED had initiated a probe against the NCP leader when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a Case against Deshmukh in April 2021 under the charges of corruption.

The Default Bail was quashed by the Special Judge RN Rokade on Tuesday.