Tax department raids Maharashtra deputy CM Pawar's family, realtors; NCP hits back

The searches are being conducted in Mumbai, Pune, Satara and a few other cities in Maharashtra and Goa

The Income Tax department on Thursday raided people, firms and places linked to Maharashtra deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar and his three sisters.

The 62-year-old politician, a seven time-MLA from Baramati in Pune district, is the nephew of NCP founder-president Sharad Pawar.

While no details were provided by the I-T department, the junior Pawar confirmed the development.

”It is true I-T has raided a few firms related to me. It is their right... I don’t know whether they were conducted for political purposes or they want more information as we have been paying taxes on time,” said Pawar, who is the finance and planning minister.

Pawar added that his three sisters were also raided.

“My sisters have been raided, one in Kolhapur and two in Pune... If they are targeted because they are related to me, then the people of the state must consider the levels to which the Central agencies are being misused to target us,” Pawar said.

"How many people linked with BJP have been raided in the past two to three years?" he asked.

The raids were conducted in Mumbai, Pune, Satara and some other places.

He said that he himself is the finance minister and hence the necessary documents, returns related to him and his firms are done in time.

Also read: No problem with raids on companies linked to me, but why drag my sisters: Ajit Pawar

According to reports, the board of directors of sugar factories and cooperatives and real estate companies were raided -- DB Realty, Shivalik, Jarandeshwar Sahakari Sugar Karkhana Ltd, Daund Sugar Pvt Ltd and Ambalika Sugar Pvt Ltd.

“I am not sure whether they were conducted for political purposes or for getting more information... We have been paying all taxes promptly,” he said.

In July, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached properties worth Rs 65.75 crore belonging to the Jarandeshwar sugar factory in the Satara district, in connection with the Maharashtra State Co-operative (MSC) Bank money laundering case.

Lashing out at the NCP, Pawar’s nephew and MLA Rohit Pawar said wondered how the raids came just a day after the results of the zilla parishad and gram panchayat results -- in which NCP performed well.

State NCP president and state water resources minister Jayant Patil alleged that over the last few years, forces opposed to BJP are being suppressed.

“The raids are just to divert attention from the Lakhimpur Kheri incident,” he said.

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