Special Judge Hearing Money Laundering Case Against Anil Deskhmukh Transferred By Bombay HC

A Special Judge, who is hearing high profile cases related to politicians of Maharashtra including the one against Anil Deshmukh, who is accused of money laundering, has been transferred to Yavatmal district by the Bombay High Court, with immediate effect from Mumbai. On Monday, the Judge had remanded Deshmukh to judicial custody of 14 days. Before that, the Judge had extended the ED custody of Deshmukh.

Special judge HS Satbhai has been hearing the applications of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for remand of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in the money laundering case and other cases pertaining to MPs and MLAs in Maharashtra. He has been hearing cases pertaining to MPs and MLAs since July this year, at the Sessions Court in Mumbai. Yavatmal district in east Maharashtra is located 685 km away from Mumbai.

In a notification issued on Monday by the Bombay High Court it is said that HS Satbhai, Judge, City Civil Court and Additional Sessions Judge, Mumbai has been transferred and posted as District Judge 2 and Additional Sessions Judge, Kelapur, district Yavatmal, with immediate effect.

Deshmukh, also a senior NCP leader, was arrested on November 1 by the ED under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Deshumukh was named by Mumbai's former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh for allegedly giving target to dismissed Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, accused in the Antila bomb scare case to collect Rs.100 crore from hoteliers and bar owners from Mumbai. 

Besides Deshmukh's case, judge Satbhai was also hearing a case against Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Sadan scam and discharged the latter.

Judge Satbhai was also hearing the pre-arrest bail plea of former Shiv Sena MP Anand Adsul in a case pertaining to an alleged scam in a cooperative bank. He was also hearing the alleged Pune land deal case involving former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse, an NCP leader.

With PTI inputs