ED seizes properties of Sharad Pawar's grandnephew worth Rs 50 cr

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday took action by attaching assets worth over Rs 50 crore belonging to a sugar mill owned by Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar. Rohit Pawar, a 38-year-old MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed, has become a prominent leader in Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, particularly after Ajit Pawar's departure. This move comes in the context of Rohit Pawar being previously summoned by the ED in connection with a ration scam.

Under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached assets consisting of 161.30 acres of land, plant, machinery, and buildings belonging to the Kannad Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited (Kannad SSK) situated in Kannad village of Aurangabad district.

Following his appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Rohit Pawar stated that there appears to be a clear political motive behind the timing of the ED's inquiry.

"Election is nearby, so people feel that these proceedings against opposition leaders are because of that...probe is happening against only opposition leaders," Rohit Pawat said. "ED has sought some information on 8th February, someone from my office can go and give it to them. I have got a hint that I might be called against on 12 or 13th February", he added.

On January 24, Rohit Pawar was questioned by the ED for approximately 10 hours in connection with the money laundering case. Subsequently, he was summoned for further interrogation on February 1.

The MSC Bank scam, with an alleged magnitude of Rs 25,000 crore, has prompted the filing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court by four individuals. The PIL has brought attention to the purported modus operandi of the fraud.

According to the petition, certain sugar mills defaulted on loans that were granted without proper due diligence. Subsequently, these sugar mills were reportedly seized by the MSC Bank and auctioned off to various officials of the bank and politicians.

Responding to the PIL, the Bombay High Court directed the registration of a case. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW), a department under the Maharashtra government, conducted an investigation into the matter. In 2020, when the EOW submitted a closure report to the Bombay Session Court, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed an intervention petition opposing the closure report and initiated its own investigation.