Mumbai: Former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal has moved a bail application before the high court after the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA Court rejected his bail application in December 2017. Bhujabal’s counsel Shalabh Saxena argued before the court that Bhujbal has been under custody for two years while the maximum punishment under which he will be tried is seven years.
The chargesheet has also been filed and no further custodial interrogation is required by the Enforcement Directoriate (ED), which had arrested him in the case in March 2016, and so he is entitled for bail, according to the lawyer.
Advocate Saxena also pointed out Supreme Court (SC) order, which says that, all the accused whose bail were rejected under section 45 of the prevention of Money Laundering Act, that application should be reconsidered by the local PMLA court. Arguments will continue on Thursday.
According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the total amount of money laundered by the Bhujbal was Rs 857 crore, ED has attached property worth '156 crore so far. The bail application was heard by the single bench of Justice P.N. Deshmukh.
