Two Bombay High Court judges recuse from hearing Anil Deshmukh challenge to CBI custody

Justices Revati Mohite Dere and PD Naik of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday recused from hearing the appeal filed by former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh challenging orders of two special courts that granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody over him in a corruption case..When the matter came up for hearing before Justice Mohite Dere, she recused, prompting the petitioner to mention the matter before Justice Naik. However, he also recused..Deshmukh, who was the former Home Minister of Maharashtra, has challenged the two orders passed by the Mumbai CBI court and the special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by which the courts had ordered to give his custody over to the CBI.Deshmukh was arrested by the CBI on Wednesday morning pursuant to the same..Deshmukh was arrested in connection to a First Information Report (FIR) registered last year against him and unknown others on the basis of the findings in the preliminary enquiry initiated into the complaint of Dr. Jaishri Patil.The enquiry 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.is facing allegations of corruption and pursuant to the Bombay high court order the CBI had registered FIR against him and unknown others. While CBI was investigating the case, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Deshmukh and for allegedly laundering the money he received through corruption. He had been arrested by the PMLA agency on November 2, 2021. Presently he is in the judicial custody of the Special Court under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The application by CBI was allowed and it was permitted to approach the PMLA court which issued request letter to the Special court under PMLA. The PMLA Court directed the Superintendent of Arthur Road Jail to handover custody of accused to CBI. The judge specified that after investigation, Deshmukh's custody would be handed back to the jail authorities. However, when CBI officers went to jail to take his custody, they were informed that Deshmukh had been admitted to JJ hospital due to a dislocated shoulder. Due to which CBI could not take Deshmukh's custody. These two orders of the CBI and PMLA Courts were challenged by Deshmukh in the High Court through advocates Aniket Nikam and Inderpal Singh through an application under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Proedure.