Bombay High Court Quashes PMLA Case Against Lawyer Kishore Dewani in Anil Deshmukh Matter

The Bombay High Court has quashed the money laundering case against Nagpur-based lawyer Kishore Pessulal Dewani in connection with the alleged corruption case involving former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

The Court held that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) failed to establish any nexus between Dewani’s property transactions and the alleged “proceeds of crime” under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The Court noted that the land transactions predated the alleged scheduled offences, making any connection legally unsustainable. The Court also criticised the special PMLA court for issuing notice without demonstrating proper application of mind, holding that the test of “sufficient ground for proceeding” was not satisfied.

Accordingly, the complaint against Dewani were set aside.

[Kishore Pessulal Dewani v. ED & Anr.]