Deshmukh case: ED records ex-Maha chief secretary Sitaram Kunte's statement for over 6 hrs

The Enforcement Directorate ED on Tuesday recorded former Maharashtra chief secretary Sitaram Kuntes statement for over six hours at its office here in connection with the ongoing money laundering probe against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, an official said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday recorded former Maharashtra chief secretary Sitaram Kunte's statement for over six hours at its office here in connection with the ongoing money laundering probe against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, an official said. Kunte, who is currently the principal advisor to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, reached the agency's office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai around 11 AM. He left the ED office at 5.20 PM after recording his statement for more than six hours, the official said. ''The ED had called me to get some information in connection with the Anil Deshmukh case. Accordingly, I have provided the information to them'', Kunte told reporters while leaving the office of the anti-money laundering agency. When asked whether the ED wanted to know about the alleged irregularities in police transfers in the state, Kunte said, ''yes, it was the same''. The agency had summoned Kunte earlier also but he failed to appear before it due to his busy schedule, according to sources.

The ED had arrested Deshmukh, a senior NCP leader, in connection with a multi-crore money laundering case. He is currently in judicial custody. Notably, the ED had recently recorded the statement of suspended Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra police establishment.

Singh had accused Deshmukh of corruption and other irregularities when he was home minister. In a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after he was removed from the post of Mumbai police commissioner, Singh had alleged that Deshmukh, state home minister at that time, had directed dismissed policeman Sachin Waze to extort over Rs 100 crore per month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

The ED case against Deshmukh and others is borne out after the CBI first carried out a preliminary inquiry (PI), followed by the filing of a regular case on the orders of the Bombay High Court.

The ED had earlier told a Mumbai court that Deshmukh, when he was home minister, had received over Rs 4 crore from bar owners in Mumbai and channeled that money to his trust in the form of donations through various dummy companies.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)