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 NDA’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–INDIA, have renewed their ‘washing machine’ charge at the BJP, 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 NCP 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.