Maharashtra former Home Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh has been granted bail by the Bombay High Court on Monday, in a corruption case probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). 

The HC granted bail to Deshmukh on furnishing the surety of Rs 1 lakh. However, the order will be effective after 10 days to enable the CBI to approach the Supreme Court. 

Notably, after a special CBI court rejected his plea in the corruption case, Deshmukh approached the Bombay HC against the former court’s order and sought bail on medical grounds as well as on merits. Following this, a single bench of Justice MS Karnik reserved the order on the plea last week after both sides completed their arguments.

Speaking about Deshmukh’s plea, his lawyer on Monday said, “The court has agreed upon our argument. The bail has been granted to Anil Deshmukh. The CBI pleaded for a stay on order. So this order will stay for 10 days as CBI wants to challenge this order in the Supreme Court. Hence the 10 days stay has been ordered by the high court on the execution of this order.”

NCP leader Anil Deshmukh granted bail

The NCP leader has been in jail since November last year after he was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case. In April this year, Anil Deshmukh was arrested by the CBI in a corruption case wherein IPS officer Param Bir Singh had alleged that Deshmukh, then home minister, had given a target to police officers to collect Rs 100 crore per month from restaurants and bars in Mumbai.

It is pertinent to mention that earlier in November, the HC had granted bail to Deshmukh in a money laundering case registered by the ED. However, the NCP leader had to stay in jail as his plea in the corruption case (registered by the CBI) was rejected by the special CBI court noting that there was prima facie evidence against him.