The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case of money laundering against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, news agency ANI tweeted on Tuesday. The case, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), was registered on the basis of an FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Last month, the CBI had registered a case against him and others under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) and criminal conspiracy (IPC 120 B).
The CBI had initiated a preliminary enquiry (PE) against Deshmukh on the high court's order on April 5, based on petitions filed by advocate Jayshri Patil and former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, who levelled allegations of corruption and malpractices against the NCP leader.
Singh, in his letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, had alleged that Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked suspended Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crores every month.
Waze was arrested in March in connection with the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) probe into the case of recovery of an explosives-laden SUV near Mukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai and the subsequent murder of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran.
Deshmukh had resigned from his post after the Bombay High Court directed the CBI to initiate an enquiry within 15 days into allegations levelled against him by Singh.