Ex-Maharashtra minister Deshmukh fails to appear before ED again, urges to record statement online

MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh refused to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday in connection with a money-laundering case, citing Covid-19 not followed in the agency office and his old age.

Deshmukh, however, in his letter, through his lawyer Inderpal Singh, to the ED asked the agency to take his statement through a virtual interaction on a day suitable. He also told the ED that he is entitled the get a copy of the Enforcement Case Information Report and other documents from it, Deshmukh said.

“I have already exposed my person to some extent on June 25, in my long interaction with you spanning over several hours during the course of search and recording of my statement. I will furnish all information and any document that you may require once I am aware of the contents and details thereof. The copy of ECIR is not available with me, I am handicapped and incapacitated to furnish the documents as of now,” he added.

“I am a septuagenarian, about 72 year of age, and suffering from various co-morbidities, including hypertension and cardiac problems,” he mentioned in the letter. The ED had asked the NCP leader to appear before it at 11 am on Tuesday, after he did not depose before the investigating officer here on Saturday. 

Deshmukh had on Saturday sought a fresh date for appearance in the case related to an alleged multi-crore bribery-cum-extortion racket that led to his resignation from the post of home minister in April.  Deshmukh’s lawyer said they were cooperating with the probe agency.  The ED on Saturday arrested Deshmukh’s personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and personal assistant Kundan Shinde after it raided against them and the NCP leader in Mumbai and Nagpur.