ED again summons ex-Maha HM Anil Deshmukh for questioning

Mumbai, Aug 17 (IANS) In more troubles for former Maharashtra Home Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has once again summoned him for questioning in connection with the money laundering probe into the alleged misuse of office and bribery allegation case.

An ED official related to the development said, "Yes, we have sent summons to Deshmukh for questioning."

This is the fifth summon by the ED to the NCP leader in connection with the case.

The fresh summon comes a day after the Supreme Court refused to grant interim relief to Deshmukh, who had sought protection from any coercive action in a money-laundering case.

Deshmukh has been allegedly accused of money-laundering, and the matter is being probed by the ED for the alleged extortion from a bunch of orchestra bars in Mumbai.

It has been alleged that Rs 4.7 crore was collected as "extortion" from the orchestra bars by now dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze allegedly on Deshmukh's instructions. Later, this amount was transferred to Deshmukh's Nagpur-based educational trust by his son, Hrishikesh.

According to the allegation, the transaction was routed via two hawala operators and was shown as a "donation".

The 71-year-old NCP leader is the president of the trust and his two sons, Salil and Hrishikesh, are trustees.

On May 11, a case was registered against the former Minister and on June 25, the ED raided Deshmukh's residences in Nagpur, Mumbai, and three other places.

In April, the CBI had conducted raids at four premises of Deshmukh after registering an FIR against him in connection with the case.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had, in his letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, had alleged that Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month.