The court also disposed of Bhujbal’s plea against the 2016 order of the Bombay High Court which had dismissed his plea challenging his arrest in a money laundering case.
Since the petitioners were granted bail in 2018, it is not necessary to go into the question of illegal arrest at this stage. The court said, therefore, this issue can be raised through application at the appropriate stage in the appropriate application.
On 14 March 2016, Bhujbal was arrested on charges of money laundering. When he was the Minister of Public Works Department, this action was taken over alleged irregularities in awarding contracts during the construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi and Kalina Library of Mumbai University. In 2014, a public interest litigation was filed by the Aam Aadmi Party. Bhujbal and his family were accused of converting black money worth Rs 900 crore into white. On the basis of this, a case of money laundering was registered against him under PMLA.
Bhujbal challenged the arrest citing violation of legality and fundamental rights. It was argued that the ED failed to disclose the reason for the arrest and there was no FIR under PMLA. However, the court dismissed the petition, holding that the arrest and remand were neither grossly illegal nor without jurisdiction. In March 2018, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Center on Bhujbal’s appeal and sought its reply.
In September 2021, a special court acquitted Yebhujbal and his son and others in a corruption case related to the Maharashtra Sadan scam. In December 2021, the Bombay High Court dismissed Bhujbal’s appeal against the show cause notice issued by the Income Tax Department regarding evasion of assessment 2012–13.
