Baramati bandh as ED books Pawars

The NCP on Wednesday strongly protested against the Enforcement Directorate registering a case against its founder-president Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar in the Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam.

The youth wing of the NCP protested outside the ED office in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, there was an impromptu bandh in Baramati in Pune district, the bastion of the Pawar family.

In his brief reactions, Pawar said: "I have not received any ED notice so far."

Also read: Will be pleased to go to jail, says Sharad Pawar

This is for the first time Pawar has been named in a criminal case.

It is alleged that bank officials provided loans to cooperative sugar factories owned by politicians and political families. These loans were sanctioned despite a negative net worth of the cooperatives and no co-laterals were taken.

Last month, the Bombay High Court had asked the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai police to file an FIR. After the FIR, the ED now has registered a case against the uncle-nephew duo and 70-odd others.