Mumbai: Days after EOW’s closure report, ED grills Rohit Pawar again

Rohit Pawar seeks Supriya Sule’s blessings before entering the ED’s office. Pic/Shadab Khan

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is questioning NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's nephew, Rohit Pawar, for the second time in connection with the MSC Bank scam, which also involves Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. After being grilled for eight hours, he was summoned agains on February 8.

The significance of the questioning is diminished as the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police filed a closure report last week, marking the second time the case has been closed. It is speculated that since Ajit Pawar has joined the BJP-Shinde government, the case has been closed again. The EOW's closure report states that no wrongful loss is evident, no malicious intent was found in the loan grants or auctions, and hence there is insufficient evidence to continue criminal proceedings.

In the last week of January, the EOW closed the case with a similar explanation, stating that no deliberate wrongful loss was identified. Any financial liabilities and distress faced by the cooperative sugar mills can be addressed through existing mechanisms, and outstanding amounts can still be recovered. The closure report also mentions that some outstanding dues were supposed to be paid by the central government. "There is insufficient evidence to justify further criminal proceedings," reads the closure report.

However, the ED is continuing its probe as the closure report is pending acceptance by the court. Based on Supreme Court judgments, the ED can continue its investigation under PMLA until the concerned court determines the validity of the scheduled offences against the accused. Utilising the powers granted by the apex court's judgment, the ED questioned junior Pawar for several hours on Thursday and for 11 hours on January 24 regarding his company Baramati Agro's alleged involvement in the case. Pawar, speaking to mid-day, earlier stated that the BJP is targeting him because he is fearless and will never bow down to them.

The EOW initially registered the case in 2019 after several petitions were moved to the Bombay High Court alleging a scam worth R25,000 crore in MSC Bank between 2002 and 2017. It was alleged that bank officials granted loans to cooperative sugar factories whose owners were connected with them and to benefit the directors of the bank, around 70 politicians from the Congress and NCP including Ajit Pawar were linked to the case and are being probed by the EOW and ED. The ED's money laundering case was based on the FIR of EOW but EOW filed a closure report in 2020 stating that no wrongful loss was made which triggered the ED to file a protest petition and in 2020, the MVA government was in power and Ajit Pawar was the deputy chief minister at that time. After the collapse of the MVA government, several petitions were filed in the court and new allegations were made. BJP, along with Eknath Shinde, came to power, and EOW started a fresh probe by informing the court in 2022.

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No of hours ED questioned junior Pawar