THE Bombay High Court on Friday rejected a petition filed by Shiv Sena leader Anandrao Adsul seeking anticipatory bail in an alleged money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate.

Justice Nitin Sambre refused to grant Adsul any protection from arrest, holding that in light of the probe conducted so far by the ED, his custodial interrogation seemed to be necessary.

Adsul, a former MP, is an accused in a money laundering case related to an alleged Rs 980 crore fraud at the City Co-operative Bank.

In October, another bench of the High Court had rejected the Sena leader’s petition seeking quashing of the ED case against him. He then moved the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases here, seeking pre-arrest bail, but the court denied him relief. On Friday, High Court dismissed his appeal against the PMLA court’s order.