The Enforcement Directorate (ED) took action on Friday by seizing lands and properties valued at over Rs 50 crore linked to Rohit R. Pawar, an MLA representing the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and SP. These assets, including 161.30 acres of land, a sugar plant, machinery, and buildings situated in Kannad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, are under the ownership of Baramati Agro Ltd., headed by Rohit R. Pawar, who is the grand-nephew of NCP-SP President Sharad Pawar.
This move by the ED is part of an investigation into alleged money laundering associated with the illicit sale of sugar factories by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank to Baramati Agro Ltd., where Rohit R. Pawar serves as the CEO. The provisional attachment of these assets comes under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), as part of the ongoing probe against the Karjat-Jamkhed MLA.
Responding to the ED's actions, Rohit R. Pawar expressed his contemplation of joining the BJP, emphasizing his intention to challenge the legality of the attachment through legal means. He vehemently denounced the move as unlawful and vowed to contest it in court. He questioned the rationale behind singling him out for such action and accused those in positions of power of abusing their authority.
Drawing attention to the timing of the ED's actions, Rohit R. Pawar pointed out that they occurred on significant occasions like his birthday and Mahashivratri Day. He invoked his devotion to Mahadev, suggesting that divine justice would eventually prevail over injustice.
This recent development follows previous interrogations conducted by the ED in January and February, during which Rohit R. Pawar was extensively questioned in multiple sessions. The NCP-SP coalition has decried these actions as politically motivated, alleging selective targeting of opposition leaders by the government.
Notably, the ED had earlier provisionally attached assets worth more than Rs 120 crore in connection with the case, which originated from a complaint filed by the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing in 2019.
