Mumbai Oct 28: A special court for MPs and MLAs here rejected plea moved by Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s son Sameer and nephew Pankaj, who sought to drop money laundering proceedings against them.
They sought to drop the proceedings on the ground that they had been discharged from the predicate offences which were the base to initiate the money-laundering proceedings against them, an official said here on Saturday.
The court rejected the plea on Friday, while observing that it did not have the power to quash the case against the accused and that it could only be done by high court.
Special Judge R N Rokade said there was no provision under the law to drop the proceedings. Besides, he held, the power to quash the proceedings was vested with Bombay High Court.
Sameer, Pankaj, Chhagan Bhujbal and 49 other accused were booked for money laundering in 2016.
The ED had initiated a probe based on allegations of irregularities in connection with the construction of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi and a land deal in Kalina.
Besides this, Sameer was also booked in another case of cheating registered by the local police, in the construction of a proposed residential building in Navi Mumbai.
