Bombay High Court judge Justice MS Karnik on Friday recused from hearing the plea filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking cancellation of bail granted by a special court to Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case. .Justice Karnik stated that it would be inappropriate for him to take up the matter and directed that it be listed before some other bench."It would not be appropriate for me to take up this matter. So yes, not before me," he said..During a hearing of the plea on November 11, the ED had had told the Court that the observations made by special judge MG Deshpande in his order granting bail to Raut, were uncalled for and were having an adverse impact on other cases.Deshpande, in his order, had observed that the ED was adopting a pick and choose strategy in arresting people for money laundering and that Raut was arrested for no reason.The order also strongly deprecated the agency for its modus operandi of arresting the accused at extraordinary pace in money laundering cases but conducting trial at snail's pace..Raut was arrested by the ED on July 31 in connection with a money laundering case in relation to the redevelopment of a chawl project in a northern suburb of Mumbai.He was summoned for questioning in the re-development of Patra chawl and related transactions involving his wife and ‘associates’. He was arrested on July 31 and after spending 8 days in ED’s custody, Raut was remanded to judicial custody.He moved for bail on September 7 claiming that ED’s case against him was filed to crush the opposition faced by the ruling party. On November 9, he was granted bail by a special court dealing with offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This order is being challenged by the ED before the High Court.
Bombay High Court judge Justice MS Karnik on Friday recused from hearing the plea filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking cancellation of bail granted by a special court to Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case. .Justice Karnik stated that it would be inappropriate for him to take up the matter and directed that it be listed before some other bench."It would not be appropriate for me to take up this matter. So yes, not before me," he said..During a hearing of the plea on November 11, the ED had had told the Court that the observations made by special judge MG Deshpande in his order granting bail to Raut, were uncalled for and were having an adverse impact on other cases.Deshpande, in his order, had observed that the ED was adopting a pick and choose strategy in arresting people for money laundering and that Raut was arrested for no reason.The order also strongly deprecated the agency for its modus operandi of arresting the accused at extraordinary pace in money laundering cases but conducting trial at snail's pace..Raut was arrested by the ED on July 31 in connection with a money laundering case in relation to the redevelopment of a chawl project in a northern suburb of Mumbai.He was summoned for questioning in the re-development of Patra chawl and related transactions involving his wife and ‘associates’. He was arrested on July 31 and after spending 8 days in ED’s custody, Raut was remanded to judicial custody.He moved for bail on September 7 claiming that ED’s case against him was filed to crush the opposition faced by the ruling party. On November 9, he was granted bail by a special court dealing with offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This order is being challenged by the ED before the High Court.