Sachin Waze Writes To Enforcement Directorate To Be Declared Approver In Money Laundering Case Against Anil Deshmukh

"I am willing to make truthful and voluntary disclosure of entire facts known to me regarding above referred matter before a competent magistrate. I request you to kindly treat this application for granting me pardon u/s 306, 307 of the CrPC," Waze's letter to Tassin Sultan, Assistant Director, Enforcement Directorate states.

The ED can now approach the Special PMLA court to get Waze's statement recorded by a Magistrate under section 164 of the CrPC.

While there is no legal definition of an approver in law, sections 306 and 307 of CrPC deal with a competent court granting tender of pardon to an accomplice in a crime, who deposes truthfully and to the best of his knowledge as a witness against his co-accused at the time of trial.

Sachin Waze, who is currently in custody in the Antilia Terror Scare case is also accused in ED's money laundering case. The other accused include Anil Deshmukh, who was arrested on November 2, 2021, and is currently in judicial custody, Deshmukh's sons Hrishikesh and Salil, his personal assistants and close aides, and several companies are also accused in the case.

The ED's case is based on the CBI's corruption FIR against Deshmukh wherein Ex-Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh alleged that Deshmukh had asked dismissed cop Sachin Waze and two other officers to illegally collect Rs. 100 crore from bar owners every month for him.

The agency claimed that money received through extortion and other illegal means like bribes from transfers and posting of police officials in the State, was laundered for illegal gains of over Rs 15 crore.

What Do His Statements Say?

Waze's statements, recorded u/s 50 of PMLA gives details about his alleged collection from bar and orchestra owners at Deshmukh's behest when the former was heading Mumbai Police's Crime Investigations Unit.

While accusing Deshmukh of gunning for anchor Arnab Goswami's arrest in the TRP case, and instructing him on several high profile cases, Waze exonerates himself and former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh of any wrongdoing.

According to Waze, while Param Bir Singh knew Deshmukh had assigned him the task of extortion Singh didn't know Waze was following the instructions.

Background On Reinstatement Of Sachin Waze

Waze was suspended in 2004 for his alleged role in the custodial death of Ghatkopar blast accused Khwaja Yunus; he was reinstated through a committee headed by CP Parambir Singh in 2020.

Waze claimed that NCP Chief Sharad Pawar was unhappy with his reinstatement in the force after 16 years. Waze said he got a call from Anil Deshmukh on June 16, 2020, in which Deshmukh promised to convince Pawar for continuing Waze in the police force and sought Rs 2 crores for helping him.

Recently ED filed their supplementary charge sheet against Deshmukh in which, Param Bir Singh and several other officers and bureaucrats are cited as accused.

While Waze denied several portions of this statement before a High Level independent Commission set up by the state to probe corruption allegations, he recently sought to retract the retractions.

Case Title: Directorate of Enforcement v. Sachin Hindurao Waze