The Bombay High Court allowed the Prevention of Money Laundering Act Authority to pass attachment order in respect of assets of Anil Deshmukh, former Maharashtra home minister worth Rs.4.2 crore, but restrains Authority from taking any coercive Step till January 10, 2022.
The ED has provisionally attached assets worth 4.20 crores belonging to Deshmukh and his family held in the name of his wife Aarti Deshmukh and company Premier Port Links Private Limited. The attached assets included a residential flat of the value of 1.54 crore, located at Worli, Mumbai and 25 land parcels of book value 2.67 crores.
The financial investigation agency had initiated a probe against Deshmukh and his associates after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a first information report (FIR) following a court-directed enquiry into the allegations of corruption and misuse of his official position.
The ED also alleged that the payment towards the flat registered in the name of Deshmukh’s wife was through cash and the entire payment was done in the year 2004. However, the sale deed was done in month of February 2020 when Deshmukh was the minister.
Further, the ED stated that Deshmukh acquired 50% ownership in Premier Port Links Pvt. Ltd. including its assets totally valued at approximately 5.34 Crore (Book Value) by merely paying an amount of 17.95 lakhs.
A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Justice Madhav Jamdar modified the December 6 order by which they had restrained the Authority from passing final orders.
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