Senior doctors to examine Bhujbal

The Bombay high court on Friday asked the Enforcement Directorate to produce Chhagan Bhujbal before a government-constituted medical board of senior doctors to seek an opinion about his health and submit its report on May 27. The court would decide the bail plea after going through the report of the board.

The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court judge P.R. Bhavake had last week rejected Bhujbal’s bail application. The NCP leader had filed the application on medical grounds, listing more than 10 diseases he is suffering from and claiming proper medical treatment could not be provided to him in prison, which could worsen his health condition.

His counsel Amit Desai on Friday submitted that Bhujbal was not in good health and urged the court to consider the risk factors involved before deciding on his bail plea. Public Prosecutor Purnima Kantharia opposed Bhujbal’s bail plea, saying he has been getting good treatment at government hospitals.

However, Justice Ajay Gadkari was of the view that an opinion should be obtained from an independent panel of doctors.

The ED is probing Bhujbal, his son Pankaj and nephew Sameer in the case of money laundering in which around Rs 870 crore “ill-gotten” money is involved.

The ED investigations are based on the FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau regarding irregularities in construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, which was built at a cost of Rs 100 crore. It is alleged that the contractor had given kickbacks to Bhujbal. Another FIR was filed by the ACB against Bhujbal in which it was alleged that he had received kickbacks in awarding the contract of state central library in Kalina campus of Mumbai University. Bhujbal is currently lodged in Central prison at Arthur Road here along with his nephew and former MP Sameer Bhujbal, who was also arrested in the same case on similar charges.