A special court in Mumbai said that assets of a sugar cooperative were acquired by close associates of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at throwaway prices.
Special Judge M G Deshpande in the order passed on Wednesday took cognisance of a chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case in relation to the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB). Ajit Pawar has not been named as an accused in the case.
The court said that the chargesheet “demonstrates a classic example of generation of proceeds of crime from criminal activity”, and that it constitutes an offence under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
“Hence, there are cogent, sound and prima facie sufficient grounds to direct issuance of process (summons) against all the accused,” the court said, while directing all the accused to appear before it themselves or through their lawyer on July 19.
In April, the central probe agency filed a chargesheet against three – Guru Commodity Services Pvt Ltd, Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills Pvt Ltd and chartered accountant Yogesh Bagrecha – in connection with the case. The case relates to alleged scam in the Sahakari Sakhar Kharkhana (co-operative sugar factories) and Sahakari Soot Girnis. It alleges that all the accused hatched a criminal conspiracy to facilitate illegal sanctioning and disbursement of loans to the MSCB and the District Central Co-operative Bank.
The court has issued summons to the two companies through their former and present directors, along with CA Bagrecha. Further, it also noted that wife of Ajit Pawar, Sunetra, was also one of the directors of MSCB from 2004-2008.
“A loan of Rs 826 crore given by Pune District Central Cooperative Bank and other banks for a mortgaged property of Jarandeshwar S S K Ltd goes to prima facie show that the assets of Jarandeshwar S S K were acquired by the close associates of Ajit Pawar at throwaway prices,” the court said, reports PTI.
Investigation into the case began after a PIL was filed in the Bombay High Court into alleged irregularities, following which a case was lodged by the Economic Offences Wing. In 2019, the ED filed a case into alleged money laundering.