Sachin Waze’s plea to turn approver in Anil Deshmukh corruption case rejected

The Mumbai Sessions court on Wednesday rejected a plea filed by dismissed Mumbai cop Sachin Waze for turning approver and being pardoned in a case involving the Enforcement Directorate (ED), that is primarily against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
A special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) rejected the application after it was opposed by the Central probe agency. Though the detailed order with reasons for rejection is yet to be made available.
The ED had earlier given its no-objection to the plea filed by Waze but in July last year, the agency withdrew its consent stating that there was enough preliminary evidence against all accused. This change in the agency’s stand is said to have come on the back of the flip-flop of statements by Waze against Deshmukh.
Waze had earlier turned approver and was granted a pardon in the case which is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI case is the predicate offence after which the ED got involved in the case to look at the issues pertaining to money laundering allegations.
Advocates Sajal Yadav and Rounak Naik, appearing for Waze, argued that after being pardoned in the predicate offence, the court ought to pardon him in PMLA offence too.
Deshmukh is facing prosecution in money laundering and corruption cases being probed by the ED and the CBI on charges of corruption and allegedly misusing his office.
Deshmukh was arrested by the ED in November 2021 and the CBI arrested him in April 2022. He was in judicial custody for over a year before the Bombay High Court granted him bail.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, in March 2021, had alleged that Deshmukh, the then Home Minister, had given a target to police officers, including Waze, to collect Rs 100 crore per month from restaurants and bars in the city as protection money. Deshmukh, however, denied the allegations.
Following the allegations, a case against Waze, Deshmukh and others was also filed by both the CBI and the ED.
However, before the Chandiwal Commission that was set up by the Maharashtra government to probe the allegations, Waze had said that Deshmukh had never asked him to collect any money. It was this change in statements which was seen to be the basis of Deshmukh being granted bail as well.