Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who is NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s grand-nephew, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) yet again on Thursday in connection with a money laundering probe into the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam.
The 38-year-old Rohit, a first-term legislator from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar had been earlier questioned by the agency for several hours barely a week ago on January 24.
The money laundering probe case, which is part of the larger MSCB case, pertains to the sale of the Kannad Sahakari sugar factory (SSK) to Rohit Pawar’s firm - Baramati Agro.
Mr. Pawar reached the ED’s office at Mumbai’s Ballard Estate today afternoon as hundreds of NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) supporters protested against the ED’s summons while raising slogans against the Eknath Shinde-led ‘Mahayuti’ government for reportedly harassing the NCP MLA by unleashing probe agencies against him.
Notably, in a show of solidarity, Mr. Pawar was accompanied by family members till the agency’s office. Sharad Pawar’s wife, Pratibha Pawar, was seen accompanying Rohit along with the MLA’s wife, as well as Rajendra Pawar (Rohit’s father) and Revati Sule, who is Baramati MP Supriya Sule’s daughter and Sharad Pawar’s grand-daughter.
Mr. Sharad Pawar and Ms. Supriya Sule are currently in New Delhi for Parliament session.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Rohit Pawar said, “My family is always with me in moments of difficulty. Everyone is present today including my father, my wife, Pratibha kaki, my sister Revati. As a law-abiding, self-respecting citizen, I have promptly appeared before the ED following their summons in order to cooperate with them. The officers are only doing their duty.”
A large number of police personnel were deployed near the ED office and barricades were placed on roads leading to it.
The Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank money laundering case stems from an August 2019 FIR of the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing. The case was filed after the Bombay High Court issued an order to investigate allegations of the sale of sugar factories in the State’s cooperative sector through allegedly fraudulent means at throwaway prices.
Last month, the ED had conducted searches in Baramati Agro and some linked entities in Baramati, Pune, Aurangabad, and other places.
