The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has written to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) seeking probe details against former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and has also sought information regarding his linkages to the other accused in the Maharashtra Irrigation Scam.
The ED has been investigating the scam for quite some time. The scam had surfaced in the year 2012, and the allegation was of financial irregularities to the tune of ₹35,000 crore between the period of 1999-2009.
Pawar could be the first high profile politician to be caught in the ED net as the Directorate is set to book him on charges of money-laundering.
Earlier, the Thane Anti-Corruption Bureau had filed a 30,000-page chargesheet in multi-crore Balganga irrigation project scam in Raigad. Though Ajit Pawar’s name is not in the list 10 persons allegedly involved in the irregularities during the proposed construction of Balganga Dam, the chargesheet has sought further permission to probe the deals that directly involves Ajit Pawar.
“We have written to the principal Secretary of Irrigation dept on 27/7/2016 regarding Policy decisions taken by erstwhile Irrigation Minister Ajit Pawar in connection with Balganga dam. The matter needs to be further probed”
Raising big question about the finance provided by the City and Industrial Development corporation (CIDCO) for the project even before getting a green signal by Pawar’s department.
A senior ACB Official had said, that with a thorough probe, there is a possibility of proofs emerging in the case. This could mean that a supplementary chargesheet may also be filed and since the permission is sought to probe these crucial developments related to Ajit Pawar, the possibility of names adding up in the supplementary chargesheet cannot be ruled out. This could spell trouble for the former deputy CM and nephew of Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar.
Ajit Pawar headed the water resources ministry for over a decade since 1999 and had allegedly cleared cost escalations of 32 irrigation projects by more than Rs.17,000 crore.
