In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is currently executing searches at six locations in Maharashtra as part of the ongoing investigation into the Maharashtra Co-operative Bank scam. The targeted locations include Amravati, Aurangabad, Baramati, and Pune, with one related to MLA Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, under the spotlight.
The enforcement agency is conducting these searches in connection with Baramati Agro, a company owned by MLA Rohit Pawar, as part of a money laundering probe related to the alleged scam in Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank. The comprehensive operation, initiated on December 5, aims to uncover any financial irregularities.
The Maharashtra Co-operative Bank scam, which dates back to August 2019, involves allegations of selling sugar factories in the cooperative sector through fraudulent means. The ED’s involvement comes after the Bombay High Court directed an investigation into the alleged fraudulent sale of these assets at considerably lower prices.
Earlier in April 2023, the ED submitted a chargesheet against the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) but excluded the names of NCP leader Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra Pawar. The ED had seized assets worth ₹65 crore in July 2021, including land, buildings, and machinery from Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sugar Mill, as part of the ongoing investigation into the MSCB scam.
The ED’s actions underscore the continued efforts to unravel the complexities of financial irregularities and scams, emphasizing the commitment to maintaining transparency and accountability.
