Anil Deshmukh wants to vote in Rajya Sabha polls, court seeks ED response
India Today
A Mumbai court has sought ED's response to Anil Deshmukh's plea to vote in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
Maharashtra's former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has filed an application to be released on bond with sureties for a day. The court has sought a reply from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on this and will be hearing the application on June 6.
Deshmukh who is currently lodged at the Arthur Road prison wants permission to go and vote in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls to be held on June 10. Deshmukh has offered to bear the charges of the escort party when he is taken out for voting.
Advocates Abaad Ponda and Inderpal Singh appeared before the special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Mumbai with the application.
On the other hand, advocate Taraq Sayed representing Maharashtra cabinet minister Nawab Malik said that they will be filing a similar application by June 6 to seek permission from the court to vote on June 10.Deshmukh is being investigated by both ED as well as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and is in the custody of both the courts. Thus, he has filed the same application in both the courts.Deshmukh's application states that "being a Standing MLA, he is a member of the Electoral College for Election of Members to the Rajya Sabha. He is desirous to exercise his franchise and cast his vote in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha Elections."The application emphasized that the only voters in the said elections are elected MLAs and the voting is conducted inside Vidhan Bhawan. Thus, there is no likelihood of Deshmukh's presence at the venue influencing any voter in any manner or to interfere with the election process being conducted in a free and fair manner.The application adds that during the general elections, there is a heavy burden on police machinery and deployment of escort is difficult due to such a crunch. In the present case, there is no hurdle of availability of police escorts as the elections to the Rajya Sabha are not General elections and only 288 MLA will be casting their vote,that too in secure premises of Vidhan Bhawan.In the PMLA court, Deshmukh's plea stated that since it is just for one day, then the fetters under Section 45 of the PMLA Act would not apply. This section makes offences cognizable and non-bailable.Deshmukh and Malik, are both from the Nationalist Congress Party, which has put up veteran leader Praful Patel as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.
