Chhagan Bhujbal to get home food, medication

In a relief to former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Wednesday allowed his applications seeking home food, medication and bed considering his ill health. In the meantime the court also extended judicial custody of both Chhagan and Sameer Bhujbal till April 27.

Chhagan Bhujbal’s lawyer had made an application before the MPLA court seeking home food, certain medicines, bed and nebuliser machine saying he is suffering from various ailments and needs nebuliser at night as he has breathing problem. In order to use the nebuliser he needs to be kept elevated, which requires a bed.

ED counsel Hiten Venegaonkar however had opposed these applications saying that the accused is in jail and jail authorities are taking care of his health.

Special judge P.R. Bhavake on Wednesday partly allowed the applications and clarified that medicines would be provided to the accused by the jail authorities.

Meanwhile the judge has posted this matter for taking cognisance of the chargesheet on April 20. Mr Venegaonker filed summary of chargesheet and pointed out page number wise to show what the ED is claiming in the case.

Judge Bhavake then told Mr Venegaonkar that he would pass an appropriate order after going through the documents.

Before this the ED had requested the court to extend 14 days judicial custody of both Chhagan and Sameer Bhujbal as the investigation was still on and the accused, if released on bail, could hamper witnesses and temper with evidence.

Advocate R.B. Mokashi had opposed this application saying that on day one of arrest the ED had claimed that it is a scam worth Rs 840 crore0 but now after keeping them in judicial custody for almost 60 days, the ED is saying they have got details of the scam being worth Rs 131 crores.