Bank fraud case: Bombay High Court refuses to grant interim relief to Shiv Sena's Anandrao Adsul

The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to pass any order granting interim protection from coercive action to Shiv Sena leader and former MP Anandrao Adsul in connection with an alleged Rs 980 crore fraud at the City Cooperative BankAdsul had moved HC this week challenging the case and the summons issued by the ED directing him to appear before it for questioningAdsuls counsel Abhinav Chandrachud told a division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Justice N J Jamadar that proceedings initiated by ED were at the instance of political rivals with the support of the ruling party at the CentreProceedings initiated by ED against Adsul clearly smack of political vendetta being settled through enforcement agencies which are armed with powers of civil court during investigation and have been elevated to the status of court Adsul said in his pleaChandrachud told the court the proceedings before the ED had been initiated based on the complaint of Ravi Rana husband of Amravati Lok Sabha MP Navneet KaurAlso read ED raids exSena MP Anandrao Adsul sons home in connection with alleged scam of Rs 900 croreHe added that Adsul had filed a petition against Kaurs caste certificate and the HC had earlier this year cancelled the caste certificateChandrachud argued that Rana had complained as retaliation to Adsul challenging the validity of Kaurs caste certificateHe further told the court Adsul was the original complainant in the case registered by the city polices Economic Offences Wing in the alleged bank fraud caseOpposing the relief sought Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh appearing for ED asked the court to consider Adsuls conduct when the summons were issued to himWhen ED went to serve the summons he Adsul created a scene Got himself an ambulance and went to a hospital There he was found to be fine so he went to another hospital and got himself admitted This conduct has to be looked into Singh arguedHe further argued that a person may or not be an accused in a case but the ED has to question every party involved to trace the proceeds of crime in a money laundering caseThe court after hearing the matter briefly said it was not inclined to pass any order granting relief to the petitioner at this stageIt is not uncommon for informant to become accused We are not inclined to grant any relief today the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing on October 8The ED case against Adsul pertains to alleged irregularities of Rs 980 crore in the City Cooperative Bank of which he was former chairmanThe money laundering case is based on a First Information Report FIR of Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing EOW into the alleged irregularities in disbursement of loan funds and other financial transactions of the bankThis 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