NBW for accused in Bhujbal case cancelled

In a relief to three accused in the money laundering case associated with the Bhujbals, a special PMLA court in Mumbai on Wednesday cancelled non-bailable warrants (NBW) issued against them and directed them to appear before the court on June 6. The court also extended judicial custody of senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and Sameer Bhujbal while the high court extended ad-interim relief from arrest to Pankaj Bhujbal and 15 others.

Judge A.S. Mahatme, holding charge of PMLA court, on Wednesday cancelled the NBW issued against Asif Balwa, Vinod Goenka and Sanjay Kakade and asked them to be present before the court on June 6.

The applicants had contended that as per rules, the court should have first issued summons to them but without there being any application from Enforcement Directorate, the court on its own issued NBW against all the accused. However, since the purpose of securing presence of accused is already served because they have approached the court through their lawyer and are ready to appear before the court if the NBW are cancelled and hence the NBW should be cancelled.

Accepting their arguments, the court cancelled their application.

In the meantime the court extended judicial custody of Chhagan Bhujbal and his nephew Sameer Bhujbal till June 7 in the same case.

On the other hand, the Bombay high court extended the ad-interim relief from arrest to Pankaj Bhujbal and 15 others in the same matter.

Lawyers of the applicant have challenged the NBW issued against them and have also sought pre-arrest bail in the matter.

Last week, the vacation bench had granted them interim protection from arrest.

The applicants were seeking ad-interim relief beyond the summer vacation so that their applications could be heard by a regular court. They also pointed out that Supreme Court has posted one of the co-accused K.S. Chamankar’s anticipatory bail application in June and so the HC could also do the same.

The petitioners have also argued that the offences they are charged with are non-cognisable and the warrants could not have been issued against them because they were not arrested during the interrogation that took place earlier.

Though ED counsel Poornima Kantharia objected to the applications but Justice Shalini Phansalkari-Joshi granted them relief till June 7.