Anil Deshmukh money laundering case: Maharashtra minister Anil Parab appears before ED

Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab appeared before the Enforcement Directorate here on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering case registered against former state minister Anil Deshmukh and others an official saidThe ED had on Saturday issued summons for the second time to Parab 56 who also holds the parliamentary affairs portfolio in the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for questioning in the caseHe was asked to appear before at the EDs office in Ballard Estate area of south Mumbai on Tuesday Accordingly the minister reached the probe agencys office around 11 am the official saidThere was heavy police deployment outside the ED office he saidBefore leaving for the probe agencys office Parab told reporters that will fully cooperate with the ED in its probe into the caseI am appearing before ED officials today though I am still unaware for what purpose they have called me I swear by my daughters and late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray that I have not done anything wrong so I am going to the ED office the minister saidI will cooperate in the inquiry and answer the questions of ED officials he addedThe threeterm Shiv Sena MLA was first summoned by the agency to depose on August 31 which he had declined citing official engagements and had sought more timeParab is to be questioned in the money laundering case being investigated against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh after certain disclosures have been made by other accused and those involved in the case officials earlier saidThe summons pertain to the criminal investigation being carried out by the ED in the alleged Rs 100 crore briberycumextortion racket in the Maharashtra police establishment that led to Deshmukhs resignation in AprilThe ED case against Deshmukh who was earlier the home minister in the MVA government and others came after the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI booked him in the corruption case related to allegations of at least Rs 100 crore bribe made by former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir SinghDeshmukh who has skipped the ED summons at least five times till now and moved court against the agency had said Singh made the allegations against him after he was removed from the post of Mumbai police commissionerThe ED may question Parab about the statements it has twice recorded of former police officer Sachin WazeWaze arrested by the NIA in the case of recovery of an explosivesladen SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambanis house in Mumbai had earlier alleged in a letter he sought to submit before a court that in January 2021 Parab asked him to look into an inquiry against fraudulent contractors listed in the Mumbai civic body and collect at least Rs 2 crore from about 50 such contractorsParab had then rejected Wazes claims and said he was ready to face any probe into the allegationsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever