Court Denies Waze's Plea to Turn Approver in Money Laundering Case

A court rejected ex-policeman Sachin Waze's plea to become an approver in a money laundering case, stating that sufficient evidence exists against him. Waze's attempt to disclose facts was opposed by the ED, which argued that the investigation already gathered ample evidence to prosecute him and others.

A special court has denied the application by dismissed policeman Sachin Waze to become an approver in a money laundering case. The decision was based on the court's assessment that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) holds sufficient evidence against Waze and other accused individuals, notably former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.

Waze admitted to being privy to the alleged crimes by filing the application, which sought to disclose case-related facts. The ED opposed the plea, arguing that pardoning Waze could be misconstrued as granting him a clean slate, which is unjustified given the evidence against him.

The ED has accused Deshmukh of collecting money through Waze during his tenure as state home minister from bars and restaurants in Mumbai, then laundering this to an educational trust controlled by Deshmukh's family. Waze is also a key suspect in the Antilia bomb scare case and remains in judicial custody.

(With inputs from agencies.)