INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: At least five prominent faces in deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's team, which includes him, are under the scanner of ED for
separate money laundering cases that range from bank loan fraud and corruption to fraudulent land transactions and also transactions linked
to late drug smuggler Iqbal Mirchi.While investigation against Ajit Pawar, Hasan Mushrif and Praful Patel are at a crucial stage, the case
against Dhananjay Munde never progressed
The ED had filed a chargesheet where Pawar-linked sugar factories were accused of fraud but it omitted Pawar's name
Mushrif, on the other hand, told the court that action against him smacks of political conspiracy.In case of Chhagan Bhujal, the ED had
filed a chargesheet against him which has been pending trial before the court since 2016
Recently, the court discharged Bhujbal and his kin in state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)'s case based on which the ED had investigated its
The ED case is still pending in the court.Mushrif, who was recently raided by the ED, recorded his statement in the case after getting
interim protection from arrest from the Bombay high court
In his plea before the court challenging the ED case, Mushrif and others stated that "the recent events and the manner in which the
Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) is registered, clearly indicates mala fide intent and the applicant apprehends that the ECIR
would be used to put them behind bars in order to achieve oblique political conspiracy"
The plea is pending before the court.Ajit Pawar, who was also under scanner in a money laundering case connected to purchase of a sugar mill
at a throwaway price in Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank case, was not named in the ED chargesheet filed before the special court in April
In the chargesheet, the ED named a Mumbai-based paper company which had allegedly entered into financial dealing with another company linked
to Ajit Pawar.In the chagesheet, the ED had said, "The investigation into specific roles and activities of various other persons suspected
to be involved in the ...laundering is likely to take more time." Ajit Pawar was never called for questioning.The ED had also registered a
separate money laundering case against Pawar's close aide Munde along with others in a fraudulent land deal case in Beed district long
ago.Praful Patel, a senior leader and former aviation minister, is facing ED probe in a laundering case connected to late drug smuggler
leader Ajit Pawar joins Shinde govt; takes oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister
