ED conducts searches at former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh`s premises in Nagpur

Nagpur: Searches by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are currently underway at former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh's premises in Nagpur. According to ED sources, the searches are going on at three places in the city.

Deshmukh is being probed by the ED in a case of alleged extortion from orchestra bars in the state. ED had issued summons to the 71-year-old NCP leader and his son Hrishikesh Deshmukh seeking their appearance.

The ED has alleged that Rs 4.7 crore collected from orchestra bars by dismissed cop Sachin Waze, allegedly on Deshmukh's instructions, was transferred to the former minister's Nagpur-based educational trust by his son, who routed it via two hawala operators and showed it as a donation.

Deshmukh is the president of the trust and his two sons, Salil and Hrishikesh, are its trustees. Earlier, the ED had raided Deshmukh's residences in Nagpur and Mumbai. Raids were conducted at five places. After the raids, Deshmukh had said that former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had made false allegations against him after he was removed from the post over his suspicious role.