IN ITS detailed order rejecting bail to former home minister Anil Deshmukh’s private assistant Kundan Shinde, the special court has said that there is prima facie evidence that he collected money from dismissed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze on Deshmukh’s instructions. The ED has named Deshmukh, Waze and Shinde among others as accused in the case. It had opposed bail to Shinde stating that he had played a key role in collection and laundering of the bribes collected from bars. Shinde is also a trustee in a trust run by Deshmukh’s family. The court relied on Waze’s statement where he had claimed that Deshmukh called him in January and instructed him to hand over the cash collected from bars to Shinde. Shinde had then called Waze and met him outside Sahyadri Guest House and took Rs 1.6 crore from him. He again met him on instructions of Deshmukh in February and handed over Rs 3 crore, Waze had said. “In this way, from the statement of Mr Sachin Waze, it is clear that the said money, approximately Rs 4.7 crore, which he handed over to applicant Kundan Shinde was illegal collection from various bar owners across Mumbai. All that he had done as per the instructions of Mr Anil Deshmukh. Same is nothing but proceeds of crime,” special Judge M G Deshpande said. Shinde’s lawyer had said that except Waze’s statement, there is no evidence and it cannot be relied upon. The court said that merely because Waze is “not a person of good conduct” as argued by the defence lawyer, his statement cannot be thrown out. “Applicant has nowhere disputed his status being close to Mr Anil Deshmukh as his private personal assistant. Collection of bribe or illegal amount is basically a secret process. There cannot be direct evidence in respect of meeting of minds for such purposes. Inferences have to be drawn from the circumstances of transaction, which are on the record,” the court added.
