HC issues contempt notice to hospital Dean on Bhujbal's

The Bombay High Court issued today a notice to T P Lahane, Dean of the state-run J J Hospital, on a contempt of court matter referred to it by a lower court for allowing the jailed NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal to overstay at a private hospital.
A division bench headed by Justice Ranjit More issued the notice and posted the matter for hearing after four weeks.
The judge of a special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases, which is hearing a case filed against Bhujbal by the Enforcement Directorate, had referred the matter to the high court.

The PMLA court found Lahane guilty of contempt of court, and referred it to the HC for further action as required by the law.
Activist Anjali Damania had approached the PMLA court in December 2016, contending that Bhujbal had been staying at the private-run Bombay Hospital since November 2 for no reason.
She blamed "negligence of duty" by the authorities of J J Hospital and the Arthur Road jail, where he was lodged before the hospitalisation, for this.

Bhujbal, initially admitted to J J Hospital here, had checked into Bombay Hospital for a thallium scan. Damania alleged that he was misusing a court order.

The PMLA court had on December 14 ordered that Bhujbal, a former PWD Minister, be shifted back to Arthur Road jail.
Bhujbal was arrested by the ED in March 2016 on the charges of bribery and money laundering in the construction of Maharashtra Sadan, the state guest house in Delhi.