MSC Bank case: ED attaches properties in case linked to Ajit Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar had termed it ED’s bid to “harass” Deshmukh out of “frustration”.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has attached assets worth ₹65.75 crore belonging to a sugar mill in Satara district in connection with the money laundering case involving Maharashtra State Co-operative (MSC) Bank, while adding that a firm linked to state deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra was involved in the case.

Ajit Pawar was one of the prominent and influential members of the board of directors of MSCB at the relevant time, ED said. (HT)

ED said it has attached properties of Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sugar Karkhana (SSK) situated at Chimangaon-Koregaon in Satara, worth ₹65.75 crore (as per the purchase price of 2010) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, (PMLA) 2002 in the alleged MSC Bank scam.

“These assets are currently held in the name of Guru Commodity Services Pvt. Ltd. and leased to Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills Pvt. Ltd. Majority shares of Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills Pvt. Ltd. are held by Sparkling Soil Pvt. Ltd, which is related to Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of State of Maharashtra and Sunetra Ajit Pawar,” ED said in a statement on Thursday.

The action comes days after ED raided the Nagpur residence of former state home minister Anil Deshmukh in connection with the alleged money laundering linked to the extortion racket involving dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin Waze.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar had termed it ED’s bid to “harass” Deshmukh out of “frustration”.

ED’s probe has revealed that MSCB conducted an auction of Jarandeshwar SSK in 2010 at undervalued price and without “following due procedure”. Ajit Pawar was one of the prominent and influential members of the board of directors of MSCB at the relevant time, ED said.

The case is based on the August 2019 FIR of Mumbai police’s Economic Offence Wing.