Bombay HC rejects Bhujbal's plea to withdraw petition against PMLA provisions

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday rejected former Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal's plea to withdraw petition against provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after opposition by the Enforcement Directorate in the matter.

Bhujbal had urged the High Court to allow him to withdraw his petition as he wanted to file a fresh plea soon.

The former Maharashtra minister, through his lawyer, had challenged Sections 19 and 45 of the PMLA. The special PMLA court had on May 13 rejected the bail plea of Bhujbal.

The Enforcement Directorate had in May arrested Bhujbal's associate and chartered accountant Sunil Naik in connection with the case.

The Enforcement Directorate is probing Bhujbal, his son Pankaj and nephew Sameer in the case concerning a contract the former allegedly gave a builder in 2005 without inviting tenders when he was the state's PWD minister.

The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau had earlier filed two FIRs against the Bhujbals and others under the provisions of the PMLA to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.