Money Laundering case: Will Chhagan Bhujbal get bail today?

The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is likely to pronounce its verdict on the bail plea filed by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal who has been arrested in a money laundering case in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Sadan scam.

The court had on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of Bhujbal and his nephew Sameer Bhujbal till May 25. Special Judge of the PMLA court, PR Bhavke heard the arguments of lawyers of Bhujbal and Enforcement Directorate before reserving the order.

The Enforcement Directorate had last week arrested Chhagan Bhujbal's associate and chartered accountant Sunil Naik in connection with the case. The special PMLA court had earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against Naik, who was the CA at Bhujbal- owned Mumbai Education Trust (MET) at Bandra.

The Enforcement Directorate is probing Bhujbal, his son Pankaj and nephew Sameer in the case concerning a contract the former allegedly gave a builder in 2005 without inviting tenders when he was the state's PWD minister. Earlier, a special trial court issued a non-bailable warrant against Pankaj Bhujbal and 28 others accused in a Rs 800 crore money laundering case.

The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau had earlier filed two FIRs against the Bhujbals and others under the provisions of the PMLA to probe the Delhi-based Maharashtra Sadan scam and the Kalina land grabbing case.