The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Monday night arrested Maharashtra’s former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh after interrogating over 12-hours.

Days after the Bombay High Court rejected Deshmukh’s petition seeking cancellation of the summons issued by the ED and barring the agency from arresting him. The ED had initiated a money laundering probe on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Deshmukh and some others for allegedly attempting to obtain undue advantage for improper and dishonest performance of their public duty for collection of funds to achieve the target of Rs 100 crore per month from various bars, restaurants and other establishments.

August, the ED had filed its first prosecution complaint (equivalent to a chargesheet) in the case against the two arrested aides of Deshmukh.

Dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze has claimed that other than NCP leader Anil Deshmukh, he also received “time to time instructions” from state transport minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab to collect bribe. Other than Parab, he was also approached by a person who introduced himself as a close aide of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. The person asked him to “collect a monthly amount of Rs 100 crore from illegal gutka sellers”.

Waze told the federal anti-money laundering agency that certain chats on WhatsApp have been retrieved by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which had arrested Waze in connection with the Antilia bomb scare-Mansukh Hiren murder case.

Waze said following the instruction by a close aide of Pawar, he carried out drives against illegal gutka sellers and also initiated action against owners of factories. However the ‘aide’ “conveyed displeasure by Pawar on his action”, Waze claims in his statement.