The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said its division bench (comprising two judges), instead of a single-judge bench, would hear the petition filed by Maharashtra's former home minister Anil Deshmukh against the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
A single bench of Justice SK Shinde said the objection raised by the High Court registry department that the issues raised in the plea ought to be heard by a division bench is "correct".
Justice Shinde directed the registry department to place Mr Deshmukh's petition for hearing before the appropriate division bench.
Mr Deshmukh filed the petition earlier this month, seeking to quash the five summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Last week, when the plea came up for hearing before Justice Shinde, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, brought to the High Court's attention a note addressed by the registry department saying the plea has to be heard by a division bench.
Senior counsel Vikram Chaudhri and advocate Aniket Nikam, appearing for Anil Deshmukh, said the single bench had the jurisdiction to hear the plea.
The court had then said it would consider the issue and pass orders.
The Enforcement Directorate had initiated a probe against Anil Deshmukh and his associates after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its case against the Nationalist Congress Party leader on April 21 on charges of corruption and misuse of official position.
Mr Deshmukh in his plea claimed the Enforcement Directorate's action was a result of political vendetta.
The petition also said the agency's whole case was based on "malicious statements" made by dismissed police officer Sachin Waze, who is presently in jail in connection the case of an explosives-laden vehicle found near the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani in February this year and the subsequent killing of businessman Mansukh Hiran.
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