MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to allow the temporary release of Maharashtra’s Minority Development Minister Nawab Malik and former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh for the biennial elections of Maharashtra state legislative council scheduled on June 20. Justice NJ Jamadar passed the order on an interim application in Deshmukh’s bail plea and a fresh petition filed by Malik seeking permission to cast his vote with police escort.
The NCP leaders are in judicial custody in separate money-laundering cases being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. The ED resisted their applications citing the bar under Section 62(5) of the Representation of People’s Act that prohibits a person confined in prison from voting in an election.
Justice N J Jamadar had on Thursday heard arguments at length. Malik is presently in a hospital, albeit under Judicial custody. Malik and Deshmukh were earlier denied permission to vote for the Rajya Sabha elections on June 10.