As pressure mounts on the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Enforcement Directorate has attached a sugar mill worth Rs 65 crore in Satara, which is linked to Maharashtra deputy chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, in connection with the MSCB scam.
Reacting to the development, the NCP said that it was nothing but a move to malign his party and its leaders.
However, Pawar, the nephew of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, remained unfazed and said that he was seeking legal advice on the issue.
“The agency (ED) has the right to conduct an inquiry. Earlier, the state-CID and Anti-Corruption Bureau did investigation but nothing came out. The Economic Offences Wing probe is also underway. Investigation is being done from all sides but nothing came out…a judicial probe had also been conducted,” Pawar said in Pune.
“You are saying it as scam. Please show me what the scam is,” he said.
According to reports, the ED has attached properties including land, building, plant and machinery of Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sakhar Karkhana worth Rs 65.75 crore. The assets are currently held in the name of Guru Commodity Services Pvt. Ltd. and leased to Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills Pvt. Ltd, of which the majority shares are owned by Sparkling Soil Pvt Ltd, which is linked to Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra Pawar.
The investigation pertains to the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam.
Meanwhile, NCP chief spokesperson and minority affairs minister Nawab Malik said: “The manner in which reports are planted against Ajit Pawar and his family are wrong.”
"The ED has sealed the sugar mill and is taking further legal action. Ajit Pawar and his family members are not involved in any illegal activities," he said.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya demanded a probe against Sharad Pawar’s grand-nephew and MLA Rohit Pawar.
“I welcome ED attachment of properties of Jarandeshwar Sahakari Sugar Karkhana, a benami sugar Factory of Ajit Pawar. Requested ED for investigation of similar transaction. We requested ED to investigate the acquisition of Kannad Sahakari Shakar Kharkhana Ltd by Rohit Pawar's Baramati Agro Ltd at a very much undervalued price of Rs 50 crore through manipulated auction of MSCB,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that the BJP is making all efforts to destabilise the government. “Everyone knows about the controversy investigated by ED and CBI. If anyone thinks this can break the Maharashtra government, they're wrong. Even if the Army is deployed, nothing will change,” he said.
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