Ex-cop Sachin Waze moves court seeking quashing of money laundering case

Mumbai, Nov 20 (PTI) Dismissed police officer Sachin Waze has moved a special court here seeking to quash the proceedings against him in a money laundering case, citing the lack of sanction for his prosecution.

The intention behind his alleged actions was only to obey the orders of co-accused and then Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, he said in the application filed from jail.

The former `encounter specialist' officer termed the allegations against him as "general and omnibus in nature", and pleaded that the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) should be dismissed.

The mandatory sanction from the government under section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act was not obtained before the case was registered, Waze argued.

Under section 197, public servants can not be prosecuted for acts done in their official capacity unless prior sanction is obtained from the appropriate authority.

Satyanarayan Navander, special judge for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, on Tuesday directed the ED to file its response and adjourned the hearing to November 25.

In his plea, Waze also contended that the allegations against him did not constitute an offence under the PMLA.

Describing himself as a "victim of circumstances," he said the intention behind the commission of the alleged offense was only to "obey the orders" of then home minister Deshmukh.

"It is also an admitted fact that the applicant has neither intention nor knowledge of the further usage of the proceeds of crime nor participation in the money laundering allegedly done by the accused Anil Deshmukh," the plea said.

As per the ED's case, Deshmukh, through then assistant police inspector Waze, collected Rs 4.70 crore from bars and restaurants in Mumbai. The money was laundered and routed to the Nagpur-based Shri Sai Shikshan Sansthan, an educational trust controlled by the Deshmukh family, the ED alleged.

Waze, a prime accused in the 'Antilia' bomb scare case where a car with explosives was allegedly parked near the Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, is currently in judicial custody. PTI AVI KRK