CBI files chargesheet against Anil Deshmukh in corruption case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed its chargesheet in a Mumbai court against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and his two associates in a corruption case against them. .Deshmukh and the others were first arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in November 2021 in relation to the same case for money laundering offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Later, they were arrested by the CBI in the first week of April this year. They were in CBI custody till April 16 after which they were remanded to judicial custody.While filing the chargesheet today, there was a slight delay in submitting the chargesheet for checking and verification process before a number is granted..The procedure, as per the court staff, is that the papers have to be submitted before 1 pm.However, CBI officials brought the papers only after 3 pm.Eventually, after consultation with a special CBI judge, a register entry for the chargesheet was made at 4.30 pm..As the entry was being made, the Court staff enquired whether the 59-page document was all that was being filed or whether there would be a supplementary chargesheet.The Court will be taking cognizance of the chargesheet in due course. Meanwhile, sources have said that the investigation in the case will continue..Last year, CBI had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Deshmukh and unknown others on the basis of the findings in the preliminary inquiry initiated into the complaint of Dr. Jaishri Patil.The inquiry was initiated after a direction to that effect was issued on April 5, 2021 by the Bombay High Court in the plea filed by Param Bir Singh, former Commissioner of Mumbai Police.Post investigation, Deshmukh stood named in the FIR along with personal secretary Sanjeev Palande, personal assistant Kundan Shinde and dismissed Mumbai Police cop Sachin Waze whose names were added later on.On June 1, the Special CBI Court allowed Waze’s application to become an approver and he was granted pardon. In light of that development, Waze is not arraigned as an accused in the case.The remaining three stand arraigned as accused in the case..Deshmukh is now in the judicial custody of the CBI Court as also the Special Court under the PMLA.