A special court in Mumbai on Tuesday denied permission to Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal in a private hospital and directed Arthur Road jail officials to take Maharashtra’s former deputy chief minister to state-run JJ Hospital for angiography.
“The special PMLA court has directed that Bhujbal be taken to JJ for angiography, provided he gives his consent,” said Bhujbal’s lawyer Salabh Saxena.
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act court had on December 14 last year ordered that Bhujbal, then admitted to a private hospital, be shifted to Arthur Road jail on a plea by the prison officials that he had refused to undergo angiography.
Bhujbal’s stay at the private hospital since November 2 had prompted accusation that he was receiving preferential treatment.
The court had then also asked the officials to allow Bhujbal’s family members to meet him and get their consent before shifting him to J J Hospital.
The NCP leader was arrested on March 14 last year by the Enforcement Directorate on the charge of bribery and money laundering in the construction of Maharashtra Sadan building in Delhi.
He was also booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for alleged irregularities in the construction.
In another FIR, ACB had stated that Bhujbal, who was PWD Minister in the erstwhile Congress-NCP government, received kickbacks in award of contract for constructing state central library building on Mumbai University’s campus at Kalina.
Bhujbal’s nephew and former NCP MP Sameer Bhujbal was also arrested under the money laundering charge. He and his uncle have been lodged at Arthur Road jail.
PTI inputs
