Shiv Sena leader Anandrao Adsul challenges ED case against him in Bombay HC, seeks arrest shield

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Shiv Sena leader Anandrao Adsul on Thursday approached the Bombay High Court challenging a money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged Rs 980-crore fraud at the City Co-operative Bank.

The former Lok Sabha MP sought quashing of the case and also the summons issued against him by the central agency.

The 74-year-old Sena leader also sought the court to grant him interim protection from arrest pending hearing of his application.

Adsul's counsel Abhinav Chandrachud sought an urgent hearing of his plea before a division bench of Justices S S Shinde and N J Jamadar.

The Sena leader's plea claimed 'arbitrary' action was being taken against him with 'vendetta ' as he had filed a petition against Amravati Lok Sabha MP Navneet Kaur Rana, whose caste certificate was cancelled by the HC in June this year (the apex court later stayed HC ruling).

Adsul had represented Amravati in the Lok Sabha in the past, but lost the seat in eastern Maharashtra to Navneet Kaur Rana, an independent MP, in the 2019 elections.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the ED, told the court the summons was issued to the Sena leader as part of probe into money laundering charges.

Also read: ED raids ex-Sena MP Anandrao Adsul, son's home in connection with alleged scam of Rs 900 crore

The ED had summoned Adsul and his son Abhijeet Adsul on September 27 in Mumbai, but the former MP had expressed his inability to appear before the financial probe agency citing prior engagements in Delhi.

Later in the day, Adsul was admitted to hospital after he complained of ill health.

On Thursday, Singh told the HC Adsul was in good health and argued that it would become difficult for the agency to function properly if "such loopholes of medical reasons" are given when ED officers summon persons for questioning.

The court then asked Chandrachud to place on record the medical reports of Adsul and posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.

The ED case against Adsul pertains to an alleged Rs 980-crore worth of financial irregularities in the City Cooperative Bank. Adsul is a former chairman of the Mumbai-headquartered bank.

The money laundering case is based on a first information report (FIR) filed by the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) into alleged irregularities in disbursement of loans and other financial transactions in the bank.

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