Mumbai: A special court for CBI cases here on Friday rejected a bail application filed by former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in an alleged corruption case.
"White-collar" crimes like this harm the country's economy and it can not ignore the statement of dismissed police officer and accused-turned-approver Sachin Waze in the case, the court said.
Considering Deshmukh's "active involvement" and attempt to obtain "undue advantage for improper and dishonest performance of public duty", relief should not be granted to him, said the court.
Deshmukh (71) approached the CBI court for bail after the Bombay High Court granted him bail on October 4 in a money laundering case registered by the ED.
The bail application, filed through advocates Aniket Nikam and Inderpal Singh, claimed that the case against the NCP leader rested upon "whims and fancies" of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The entire case was based on statements of former IPS officer Param Bir Singh and Sachin Waze, the bail plea said, pointing out that there was evidence indicating that Waze was the sole person "instrumental in the collection" of bribes from bar owners in Mumbai.
Waze and Singh made false statements to save their own skin, it claimed.
Special judge S H Gwalani, however, refused bail to Deshmukh saying that the statements of Waze and others cannot be "overlooked" and the facts disclosed in them can not be easily brushed off at the stage of bail hearing.