CBI opposes default bail pleas of Anil Deshmukh, his former aide in corruption case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday submitted before a special court here that it had filed a charge-sheet against Maharashtra's former home minister Anil Deshmukh and his former aides within the mandated time period of 60 days in a corruption case, and opposed their pleas for default bail.

The central agency submitted an affidavit in the court opposing the pleas of Deshmukh and his former aide and co-accused Sanjeev Palande seeking default bail on the ground that the CBI had filed an "incomplete" charge-sheet in the case.

The pleas had claimed the CBI had not submitted relevant documents along with the charge-sheet and those papers were deposited in the court after the mandated time period.

As per section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), a charge-sheet in a case ought to be filed within 60 days from arrest of an accused. If this was not done, then the accused can seek default bail.

The CBI, in its affidavit, said the law mandates completion of investigation within 60 days and that in the present case the report (charge-sheet) was filed by the agency on June 2, 2022, which is within the period of 60 days.

It added that the contention of the accused persons that since the documents accompanying the charge-sheet were not deposited in the court on June 2, 2022, it cannot be termed as a complete charge-sheet is entirely misplaced.

“Such misplaced understanding cannot be used/ utilized to seek the benefit of default bail,” the CBI said.

The affidavit further said that it was the court that directed the investigating officer to deposit the documents on or before June 7 and hence the accused cannot claim benefit under section 167(2) of the CrPC (accused can seek default bail if charge-sheet is not filed within 60 days).

The CBI had last week filed a 59-page charge-sheet against NCP leader Deshmukh and his two former aides – Sanjeev Palande and Kundan Shinde – in the case related to alleged corruption and misuse of office.

Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh in March last year alleged that Deshmukh, the then-state home minister, had given a target to police officers to collect Rs 100 crore per month from restaurants and bars in the city.

Deshmukh denied the allegations, but stepped down from his ministerial post after the Bombay High Court directed the CBI to register a case against him.

The 72-year-old politician is currently in jail under judicial custody in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).