Mumbai: Plea in court to proceed against Ajit Pawar, others named in MSCB scam case

In the backdrop of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police informing a sessions court earlier that it seeks to further investigate the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank Scam estimated to the tune of Rs. 25,000 crores, former MLA Manik Jadhav on Friday moved the court seeking that it reject the closure report filed in 2020 by the EOW and proceed against Ajit Pawar and others named in the FIR.

As per the complaint, there were irregularities in loan sanctioning and disbursals by district cooperative banks to cooperative sugar factories in the state. The banks sold the factories to the kith and kin of those holding director positions at the bank at throw-away prices when these factories were unable to repay the loans, thus causing an estimated loss of Rs. 25,000 crores.

EOW had filed a closure report in 2020. Jadhav was among four persons including anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare who opposed the acceptance of the closure report through a plea. At the time, the EOW had stood firm on its stance and opposed their petitions challenging its closure report. On Friday, through his lawyer Satish Talekar he sought that the closure report earlier filed by the EOW be rejected and the investigation of the matter be transferred to some other officer. 

He sought that the court exercises its powers under a provision of the CrPC which empowers a magistrate to take cognizance of an offence. The plea stated that the court may apply its mind to documents produced and take cognizance of the offence and summon the accused. The plea urged that the court is empowered to take cognizance of an offence even if the police report is to the effect that no case is made out against the accused.

It sought that probe be directed against all those involved in the offence, including the chief ministers, and deputy chief ministers among others, it said, who were either directly or indirectly involved in the disbursement of loans or sale and purchase of cooperative sugar factories.