Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) gave a clean chit to Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was named as the ruling National Democratic Alliance's surprise pick for Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, in the Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) 'scam' case.
The EOW stated in its closure report that it did not see any criminality or wrongdoing in the matter, adding that the bank in question did not suffer any losses in the process of sanctioning loans or selling the Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill.
The closure report comes at a time when the leaders in the Opposition combine -- Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) -- have renewed their 'washing machine' charge at the Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming that probe agencies go slow on dissident leaders once they jump ship and join the ruling party at the Centre.
According to EOW, Sunetra, who is up against sitting MP and Nationalist Congress Party patriarch Sharad Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule, in the battle for Baramati; resigned from the post of director of Jai Agrotech in 2008, two years after which the firm allocated Rs 20.25 crore to Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill.
Thereafter, Guru Commodity bought Jarandeshwar Opp Sugar Mill through an auction, at Rs 65.75 crore, the closure report states, adding that Guru Commodity gave the sugar mill on lease to Jarandeshwar whose director, Rajendra Ghadge, is a relative of Ajit Pawar.
Jarandeshwar paid Rs 65.53 crore to Guru Commodity in rent, the EOW stated in its report.
Meanwhile, responding to the clean chit to Sunetra Pawar, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Anand Dubey said, "Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has got a clean chit from the EOW in the Rs 25,000 crore MSCB bank scam case. PM Modi once called them a corrupt family but today, she received a clean chit. The closure report says the EOW did not find any criminal wrongdoing in the case. All Opposition leaders, accused of some wrongdoing or the other, get clean chits after joining the BJP. They make allegations against Opposition leaders, only to get them on their side thereafter and ensure they get a clean chit."
"However, those who are not with the BJP and dare to stand up to them are being harassed and raided by central investigating agencies. Cases are registered against them and they are thrown behind bars. Even chief ministers (of Opposition-ruled states) aren't being spared. And if dissident leaders decide to go with the BJP, they are made ministers and deputy chief minister or are rewarded with tickets to contest the Lok Sabha elections," Dubey said, adding, "If this isn't a dictatorship, then what is?"
