CBI and ED to take Wadhawans into custody, says Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday informed that he has written a letter to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take custody of Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan who are under institutional quarantine for COVID-19 issue. 

The letter from the Home Minister's office to ED and CBI stated that “With reference to the subject cited above it is to inform that the Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan (total 23 family menbers) arrived at Mahabaleshwar District, Satara on 08-04-2020 during the lockdown period declared by the Government of India. On 09-04-2020 all the members of the Wadhawan family have been put under institutional quarantine for COVID-19 issue at St. Xaviers High school, Panchgani, Taluka- Mahabaleshwar, District-Satara. An offense against them has been registered vide Mahabaleshwar on 10-04-2020”.

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The letter further stated that “As per the letter received from the Collector of Satara District, all these 23 persons will be released from institutional quarantine on 22-04-2020. So it is requested to do the needful logistical arrangement regarding them. We will provide you required necessary assistance in this process”.

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Home Minister Anil Deshmukh informed that requests are sent to the concerned agencies, to take the Wadhawans into custody for further investigation on 22 April Wednesday by 2 PM, the agencies will reach the quarantine centre to take Wadhawans into their custody. 

Earlier, A Mumbai special court has rejected Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan’s plea on behalf of Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) promoters, seeking inspection into the CBI case registered against them. The plea was rejected because the court deemed it unworthy of an urgent hearing with the entire nation still being under lockdown to try and contain the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

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Kapil Wadhawan and his brother Dheeraj Wadhawan were found travelling with their families to Mahabaleshwar and retainers though a special court had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the siblings, out on bail in a money laundering case, on March 17 in a CBI case. There was also a lookout circular against the brothers to prevent them from fleeing the country.

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