'CBI probe against me illegal, even Kasab got benefit of rule of law'

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh told the Bombay High Court on Friday that the ongoing CBI inquiry against him over corruption charges was illegal and in breach of legal procedures, and said even 26/11 terrorist AjmalKasab got the benefit of the rule of law.

Deshmukh's counsel, senior advocate Amit Desai, told the HC that though the CBI inquiry was initiated following a high court order in April, the central agency did not seek prior sanction from the Maharashtra government to prosecute the NCP leader, who was at the time a public servant.

This absence of sanction made the inquiry against Deshmukh, on the charges of corruption and misconduct, "illegal," Desai said.

"Can you bypass the requirement of law? The State could have been approached (for sanction). Therefore, the entire enquiry is illegal," Desai said.

"We may be carried away by emotion but we cannot bypass the procedure and the rule of law.

Even a person like Kasab got the benefit of the rule of law in this country. Everyone in this country gets the benefit of the process of law," he said.

Desai was arguing before a bench of Justices SS Shinde and NM Jamadar that was presiding over a plea filed by Deshmukh challenging the FIR registered by the CBI against him in the aftermath of

corruption allegations made against him by former Mumbai police commissioner ParamBir Singh.