Sunetra Pawar gets clean chit in Rs 25,000 cr MSCB 'scam'; Sena (UBT) slams BJP

Sunetra Pawar/ Facebook

The Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing has given Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, clean chit in the Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB)'scam' case. She was recently announced as the ruling NDA's candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency.

Per an ANI report, the EOW's closure report noted that there was no evidence of criminality or misconduct in the matter and that the bank had suffered no losses during the loan or sale of the Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill.

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The Opposition INDIA bloc criticised the development and doubled down with their 'washing machine' charge against the BJP and accused the saffron party of pushing investigation agencies to ease on the leaders who switch sides and join the ruling party, ANI report added.

The report cited that EOW, in its closure report, stated that Sunetra Pawar, who will be taking on sitting MP and NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule in Baramati, stepped down as Jai Agrotech's director in 2008, two years before the company gave Rs 20.25 crore to Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill. The report further added that the mill was later leased to Jarandeshwar, whose director Rajendra Ghadge has ties with Ajit Pawar. According to the closure report, Jarandeshwar paid Guru Commodity Rs 65.53 crore as rent.

Reportedly, responding to Sunetra Pawar's clearance, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey criticised the BJP stating that leaders accused of wrongdoing often receive clean chits after joining the party. He accused the BJP of harassing dissenting leaders and rewarding those who join them with ministerial positions or election tickets. Dubey, per the agency report, described this behaviour as dictatorial, highlighting the disparity in treatment between BJP allies and opponents.

Anand Dubey told ANI, "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."

He further said, "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 2024. If this isn't a dictatorship, then what is?"