Court adjourns hearing on Bhujbal's bail plea till tomorrow

A special court today adjourned till tomorrow the hearing on a bail application moved by senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal who was arrested in a money laundering case in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Sadan scam.
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court Special Judge, P R Bhavke directed the prosecution to file its reply on Bhujbal's application tomorrow.
Meanwhile, another accused in the case, Asif Balwa today moved the court seeking cancellation of a non-bailable warrant issued against him and anticipatory bail.
"Balwa moved the court seeking pre-arrest bail and cancellation of a non-bailable warrant issued against him," said his lawyer Pranav Badeka.

He said both the applications will be heard on May 12.
The court had issued NBW against Balwa, Bhujbal's son Pankaj and other accused on April 27.

Bhujbal, former deputy Chief Minister, and his nephew Sameer, a former NCP MP, are at present in Arthur Road jail here.
Enforcement Directorate, probing the case, had told the court it had attached properties of Bhujbals worth Rs 131.86 crore and remaining properties worth Rs 708.30 crore are yet to be identified and attached.
The agency had twice conducted searches at nine premises, including properties and offices, belonging to senior Bhujbal, Pankaj, Sameer and a few others.

Pankaj, an MLA in Maharashtra, was named in the FIR filed by the agency, besides his father, other associates and entities and Sameer who was arrested early this year.
ED had filed a 11,500-page charge sheet on March 30, naming Chhagan Bhujbal, Pankaj, Sameer, D B Realty, Balwa group of companies, Neelkamal Realtors and Builders Private Limited, Neelkamal Central Apartment LLP and Kakade Infrastructure.
The agency had filed two FIRs against Bhujbals and others under the anti-money laundering laws, based on FIRs filed by Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau, to probe alleged irregularities in the construction of the state guesthouse 'Maharashtra Sadan' in Delhi and the Kalina land-grabbing case here.

The High Court had, in December 2014, constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising ED and state ACB officials to conduct the inquiry against Bhujbal and others.
The ACB complaint names Pankaj and Sameer for offences such as cheating, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust under IPC and under Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act.