Mumbai: A special court here on Monday allowed former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, arrested in a money laundering case, to undergo coronary angiography at a private hospital in Mumbai. Deshmukh (71) was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in November last year in the money laundering case and recently granted bail by the Bombay High court. However, the central probe agency has challenged the HC's bail order before the Supreme Court.
The senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader is also an accused in a separate corruption case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Deshmukh has also moved a bail application in the graft case and the special court has directed the CBI to file its reply by October 14. The NCP leader, through his lawyers Aniket Nikam and Inderpal Singh, had sought permission from the special court to undergo coronary angiography at Jaslok Hospital, a private multi-speciality health facility.
A coronary angiogram (or angiography) is a procedure that uses X-ray imaging to see a person's heart's blood vessels. The test is generally done to see if there's a restriction in blood flow going to the heart. The court, after hearing both sides, allowed the senior NCP leader's plea. Special judge R N Rokade directed the superintendent of Arthur Road Jail, where Deshmukh is lodged, to admit him for an early coronary angiography test and further treatment, if required, at Jaslok Hospital at his own expenses.
The accused shall be escorted by necessary police and the expenses incurred for the same shall also be borne by Deshmukh, the court said. The judge said after the test is done, the veteran politician should be immediately sent back to the jail and asked the prison authorities to submit a report of the heart scan before the court. The court permitted Deshmukh's daughter and wife to remain present with him during hospitalization for the medical test.
It directed the former Cabinet minister not to misuse the liberty during the period of hospitalization. The money laundering case against Deshmukh, who served as home minister in the erstwhile Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, and others was filed after the CBI booked him in the corruption case related to allegations of extortion made by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
The ED has claimed the NCP leader misused his official position when in government and collected Rs 4.70 crore from various bars in Mumbai. The money was laundered to Nagpur-based Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan, an educational trust controlled by the Deshmukh family, the central agency has alleged. (PTI)
