Mumbai, May 4: The Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal in money laundering  PMLA case. Chhagan Bhujbal, the former public works department minister, was arrested in March 2016 in the Maharashtra Sadan scam case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) which was probing the case, said Bhujbal and his associates misused their designation and entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat and cause the government financial losses by sanctioning development projects. The ED further added that it was also alleged that Bhujbal accepted kickbacks through the firms of his relatives and employees.

According to the ED, the Bhujbal family allegedly had conspired along with several others to divert or 'launder' kickbacks received by Chhagan Bhujbal, when he was the state Public Works Department minister. According to a report by PTI, the money laundering charges against them relate to the contract for construction of the state guest house- 'Maharashtra Sadan' - in Delhi and the Kalina land-grabbing case in Mumbai.

In December last year, the ED has issued a fresh order attaching assets worth Rs 20.41 crore in connection with its money laundering probe against Bhujbal. The former deputy chief minister and NCP leader is currently in jail after being arrested by the agency last year. Bhujbal’s son and NCP legislator Pankaj and his nephew Sameer are also accused in this case.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 04, 2018 03:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).