Maharashtra Dy CM Responds Over ED Action On Sugar Mill Assets, Says Will 'Surely Appeal' For Sake Of Workers

This ED action comes while former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh is also being investigated by the central agency in connection with a separate money laundering case.

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday responded to the Enforcement Directorate attaching assets of Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sugar Karkhana worth over 65 crores in an alleged money laundering case related to Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB).

"Agency has the right to conduct an inquiry. Earlier CID and ACB did an investigation but nothing came out. EoW probe is also underway. Investigation done from all sides but nothing came out," Ajit Pawar said.

On Thursday it was reported that ED attached properties of Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sugar Karkhana situated at Chimangaon, Koregaon, Satara, Maharashtra worth Rs. 65,75,00,000 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering, 2002 in a case related to Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB).

The investigations conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) revealed that MSCB conducted an auction of Jarandeshwar SSK in 2010 at an undervalued price and without following due procedure.

Ajit Pawar was one of the prominent members of the Board of Directors of MSCB at the said time.

Now, reacting to the matter, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, "I will surely appeal wherever it is required because many workers' bread and butter is completely based on Jarandeshwar factory. I will be taking advocates' advice and do whatever is needed."

"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": Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had said about the action by ED.

This comes while former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh is also being investigated by ED in connection with a separate alleged money laundering case. Last month, 10 bar owners in Mumbai had talked about giving Rs 4 crore to Anil Deshmukh. The information related to the transactions reached ED.

This is pertaining to the allegations by Param Bir Singh who had claimed that Deshmukh asked police officers to collect money from restaurants and bar owners in Mumbai. In his letter, he had also mentioned that former assistant inspector Sachin Vaze and ACP Sanjay Patil were given a target to collect Rs 100 crores a month. 

As for the MSCB scam case, it is alleged that the SSK was used as a vehicle by Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills for obtaining the loan to the tune of Rs 700 crore (approximately) from Pune District Central Co-operative Bank during the period from 2010 till date.