Maharashtra Politics: Rohit Pawar Denies Wrongdoing In MSCB Scam, Alleges Political Vendetta After ED Chargesheet

A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary chargesheet against NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam case, the MLA on Saturday claimed he had not done anything wrong and was being targeted for political reasons.

Pawar said he was being singled out despite 97 others being named in the FIR, and added that since the matter is now in court, he would fight the case legally and win.

The MSCB money laundering case stems from an August 2019 FIR filed by the Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which alleged the fraudulent sale of SSKs (Sahakari Sakhar Kharkhana or cooperative sugar mills) by then officers and directors of the MSCB at throwaway prices to their relatives or private individuals, without following due procedure.

Talking to reporters in Pune, Pawar said, “When the ED registered the FIR, it named 97 individuals, including some political leaders. My name was not there. Before Baramati Agro purchased the sugar mill, the unit was under an administrator's control as there was no properly elected board of directors. It was the administrator who floated the tender, which Baramati Agro later secured through due process.”

“In 2024, I was called to the ED office twice for questioning. I was questioned for 12 hours, I gave all the information to ED officers. Though the ED has taken the symbolic possession of the mill, it is still run by me. No farmer will face any issue,” he said.

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Many of the persons named in the FIR are now associated with the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, or Ajit Pawar's NCP, he claimed.

When asked why he believes he was targeted, Pawar said, “If you observe, I am the only one who is actively raising voice against the government in the current monsoon session of the legislature.”

Now that the chargesheet has been filed, the matter lies in the judiciary's hands, he said.