After MSC Bank case closure, Rohit Pawar seeks discharge in ED case
On February 27, the special court allowed the closure reports filed by the EOW in 2020 and 2024, closing the case against all those probed, including former deputy CM late Ajit Pawar and companies linked to his wife and now Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar.
Rohit Pawar, who was named as an accused in the supplementary prosecution complaint (chargesheet) filed by the ED in 2025, said in his plea filed through lawyer Kushal Mor that the transactions cited by the ED are not irregular. (File Photo)
Days after a special court accepted the closure report in the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank case, NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar and others named as accused by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a related case have sought discharge.
Pawar and the other accused filed discharge applications before a special court on Friday, stating that since the predicate offence registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has now been closed, the ED case cannot continue as per law. The court has directed the ED to file its reply.
On February 27, the special court allowed the closure reports filed by the EOW in 2020 and 2024, closing the case against all those probed, including former deputy CM late Ajit Pawar and companies linked to his wife and now Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar. Special judge Mahesh Jadhav accepted the C-summary closure report filed by the EOW, stating that no criminal case is made out.
The court had also rejected an intervention plea filed by the ED stating that its appeal against the closure report filed in 2020 is pending before the Bombay High Court.
Rohit Pawar, who was named as an accused in the supplementary prosecution complaint (chargesheet) filed by the ED in 2025, said in his plea filed through lawyer Kushal Mor that the transactions cited by the ED are not irregular and that there is no criminality in them. The plea also states that there is no proof of any money laundering.
As per a Supreme Court order, once the predicate offence is closed, the money laundering offence cannot continue as it must first be proven that there were proceeds of crime that were laundered.
The ED had filed its supplementary chargesheet naming Rohit Pawar; Baramati Agro Pvt Ltd, where he is a director; and Rajendra Ingwale, a director in Hi-Tech Engineering Corporation Pvt Ltd, allegedly linked to the acquisition of a sugar mill at an undervalued price in 2025. Fourteen others had been named in earlier chargesheets.
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The ED had raised objections to the sale of the Kannad sugar factory by Baramati Agro Ltd in 2012, alleging that Rs 50 crore was used to buy the sugar factory through various bank accounts. It claimed that the amount, instead of being used for its stated purpose of working capital, was diverted to purchase the sugar factory.
The agency also alleged that another company that participated in the auction was given Rs 5 crore by Baramati Agro, raising questions about irregularities in the process.
The EOW, however, said that perusal of the documents showed that in 2011, an administrator had been appointed by the government to run the bank after its board was dissolved.
“The sale was during the tenure of the administrator and as per the SARAFESI Act. Hence, there is no evidence that the sale was linked to relatives of the director of the bank,” the EOW had said in its closure report, which has been cited in the discharge pleas.
Sadaf Modak is a distinguished Legal Correspondent based in Mumbai whose work demonstrates exceptional Expertise and Authority in covering the intricacies of the judicial and correctional systems. Reporting for The Indian Express, she is a highly Trustworthy source for in-depth coverage of courtroom proceedings and human rights issues.
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