CBI opposes Anil Deshmukh's bail plea in Bombay HC

Mumbai: The CBI on Friday submitted to the Bombay High Court that there are serious allegations of corruption, extortion and conspiracy against Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and there was sufficient evidence to establish his criminal involvement.

The CBI filed its affidavit opposing the bail plea of Deshmukh, who was arrested in November last year first by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case and later by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

He had moved HC after a special court refused him bail in the CBI case last month. Deshmukh was granted bail by the HC in the ED case last month.

The bail plea was mentioned before a single bench of Justice Bharati Dangre on Friday seeking urgent hearing. Justice Dangre, however, recused herself without assigning reasons. The bail plea would now be placed before another single bench of HC.

The CBI affidavit filed by Mukesh Kumar, deputy superintendent of police, CBI, said the oral and documentary evidence submitted with the charge sheet is sufficient to establish the criminal involvement of the applicant (Deshmukh) in the commission of offences.

"There are serious allegation of corruption, extortion and criminal conspiracy against the applicant. The grant of bail to the applicant in PMLA cannot be a fait accompli (something that has been done and cannot be changed) to enlarge him on bail in the present case," the CBI said.