MSC Bank Scam: ED Attaches Sugar Mill Assets Worth Rs 65.75 Cr Linked To NCP's Ajit Pawar, Wife

ED has attached a sugar mill in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam case, which is said to be run by a relative of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar (Getty Images)

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday attached a sugar mill worth over ₹ 65 crore under the anti-money laundering law in connection with the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam and revealed that a company linked to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra Ajit Pawar is involved in the case.

The move comes a day after state BJP president Chandrakant Patil who wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding a CBI probe against Ajit Pawar in connection with dismissed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze’s alleged involvement in the Ambani terror scare case.

A provisional order has been issued under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for attaching the land, building, structure, plant and machinery of Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sugar Karkhana (Jarandeshwar SSK) located at Chimangaon-Koregaon in the state's Satara district.

The total value of the assets is ₹ 65.75 crore which was the purchase price of the property in 2010, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said.

"The assets are currently held in the name of Guru Commodity Services Pvt Ltd (an alleged dummy company) and leased to Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills Pvt Ltd," it said.

"Sparkling Soil Pvt Ltd is holding majority shares of Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills and investigations revealed that the former firm is related a company to Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, and Sunetra Ajit Pawar (his wife)," the ED said in a statement.

The ED began the investigation in the PMLA case based on a 2019 FIR of the Mumbai Police's economic offences wing (EOW) that alleged that SSK was fraudulently sold by the then officials and directors of MSCB at a very low price to their own relatives "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. The Sahkari Sugar Karkhana was purchased by Guru Commodity Services Pvt. Ltd. and was immediately leased to Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills Pvt. Ltd., which is presently operating the Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sugar Karkhana,” the ED said.

It alleged that Guru Commodity Services is a “dummy company”, which was used to acquire Jarandeshwar SSK.

“Further, Jarandeshwar SSK has been used as a vehicle by Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills for obtaining a loan of Rs 700 crore (approximately) from Pune District Central Co-operative Bank & Ors during from 2010 till now,” said the ED.

(With PTI inputs)