Maharashtra Sadan case: ED returned ‘wet, torn' passports, Bhujbal tells PMLA court
In a submission made before a Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) court, Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal said last week that his passport was returned to him 'wet and torn' due to a fire that broke out in the office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai on April 27. A similar submission was also made by his son, Pankaj, in a separate application before the court last week.
Bhujbal and Pankaj had been named as accused in a case filed by the ED in connection with the Maharashtra Sadan case, and their bail conditions required them to deposit their passports with the ED. A fire had broken out at the Ballard Estate office of the ED on April 27.
Both Bhujbal and his son had in April sought permission from the court to travel abroad and sought for their passports to be returned to them for that purpose.
Two days after the fire, the court had on April 29 allowed the two to travel abroad. Their passports were returned to them on May 13. However, they submitted to the court that the passports were returned 'wet and torn'. Worried that it may cause problems during immigration, the duo applied for new passports via tatkal to expedite their travel. Bhujbal informed the court that this took time as he had to then also obtain fresh Schengen visas, and hence he had to alter his travel dates. From his earlier permitted dates between May 24 to June 8, he sought further permission to travel till June 12. Pankaj had also made the same submission. The ED opposed their pleas for the extension, stating that they may abscond and delay the trial, which is yet to commence.
'It is pertinent to note that the accused (is) already permitted to travel abroad. The passport of the applicant (was) wet and torn in the office of the Enforcement Directorate. Considering the reasons put forth in the application, it is allowed. Extension for travel for the period of four days is granted up to the period of June 12 under the same terms and conditions imposed in the order dated April 29, 2025,' special judge Satyanarayan Navander said in an order passed on June 2.
A fire had broken out at the ED Mumbai Zonal office-I on the fourth floor of the Kaiser-I-Hind building in Ballard Estate around 2.25 am on April 27. The fire had been doused in over an hour, suspected to have been caused due to a short circuit. The ED in a statement had then said that certain documents and furniture had been damaged but that evidentiary documents related to investigations were also stored in digital format, therefore no impediment in conducting investigation or trial is expected.
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