The Bombay High Court granted bail to former Maharashtra cabinet minister Anil Deshmukh in a corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on December 12. After a year in judicial custody in a corruption and money laundering case, the former Maharashtra Home Minister will be released. After reserving the petition on December 8, Justice MS Karnik issued the verdict today.

Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari and Advocate Aniket Nikam, who represented Deshmukh, argued that because the two cases are related and Deshmukh was granted bail in the ED case, he should be granted bail in the CBI case as well. Chaudhari claimed that Deshmukah had been imprisoned for more than a year for allegedly committing an offence punishable by up to seven years in prison. Chaudhari also informed the Court that Sachin Waze, a controversial former Mumbai cop, had been appointed as an approver in the CBI's case.

However, while granting bail to Deshmukh in the ED case, the High Court expressed reservations about the veracity of Waze's statements.

The CBI's Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh opposed the plea, claiming that the minister was involved in high-level corruption that harmed state governance. Singh also claimed that bail granted in a money laundering case could not be used to grant bail in the underlying offence (in this case, corruption case). According to the ASG, Deshmukh was denied relief in his pleas for quashing of the CBI FIR and default bail. Singh also expressed concern that, as a powerful individual, Deshmukh might interfere with the ongoing investigation into the case.

Deshmukh is the subject of two investigations stemming from the same allegation: one by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for corruption and the other by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for money laundering.