Bombay High Court rejects Pankaj Bhujbal's plea challenging arrest warrant

MUMBAI: In a setback to Pankaj Bhujbal, son of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, the Bombay High Court today rejected his plea challenging the non-bailable warrant issued against him by a lower court in a money laundering case.

A division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka said the warrant was properly issued.

Advocate Hiten Venegaonkar of Enforcement Directorate, which has filed a money laundering case against Chhagan Bhujbal and others, justified the NBW against Pankaj.

Pankaj had earlier approached the Supreme Court to challenge the NBW but it asked him to move the HC.

The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases issued the NBW against Pankaj and others on April 27 after taking cognisance of the charge-sheet filed by ED in the Maharashtra Sadan scam and some other cases.

The agency arrested Chhagan Bhujbal, a senior NCP leader, in the Maharashtra Sadan case relating to alleged corruption in awarding of contract for the construction of the state guest house in Delhi, earlier this year. He is now in judicial custody.