Mumbai | August 4, 2026
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has secured formal sanction from the Governor of Maharashtra to prosecute former State Home Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Anil Deshmukh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The central investigative agency informed a special PMLA court in Mumbai via a written submission that approval from Governor Jishnu Dev Varma was granted on May 21, 2026, paving the way for further judicial proceedings in the high-profile ₹100-crore extortion case.
Case Background & Key Developments
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Origins of the Case: The investigation stems from allegations leveled in March 2021 by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who claimed in a letter to then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that Deshmukh had set a monthly collection target of ₹100 crore for police officials.
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Resignation & HC Order: Deshmukh denied the allegations but resigned from his cabinet post following a Bombay High Court directive ordering a preliminary inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
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PMLA Clearance: The ED’s submission of the gubernatorial sanction satisfies the statutory requirement for prosecuting a former minister under money laundering laws.
The Chandiwal Commission Controversy
In parallel to the ED’s judicial submission, Deshmukh recently petitioned the Governor to direct the Maharashtra state government to publish the complete findings of the Justice K.U. Chandiwal (Retd.) Commission.
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Commission Setup & Report: The single-member commission was appointed by the state government to probe the extortion allegations and submitted its 1,400-page final report on April 26, 2022.
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Deshmukh’s Stance: Deshmukh noted that despite writing 11 formal letters to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and department heads, the report remains unreleased four years after submission.
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Public Rights & Transparency: Deshmukh argued that concealing the commission’s findings—which directly address the allegations against him—undermines public faith in the state’s administrative and judicial processes, calling for the document to be tabled in the state legislature.
Key Brief & Case Summary
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Accused: Anil Deshmukh (Former Home Minister, Maharashtra / NCP-SP)
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Investigating Agency: Enforcement Directorate (ED)
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Sanctioning Authority: Governor of Maharashtra (Jishnu Dev Varma)
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Date Sanction Granted: May 21, 2026
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Primary Acts Invoked: Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)
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Inquiry Commission: Justice K.U. Chandiwal Commission (Submitted April 2022)
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Domain Focus: Anti-Corruption Litigation, PMLA Sanctions, State Governance, High-Profile Judicial Enforcement & Maharashtra Politics
