At least three senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders who have crossed over with Ajit Pawar to join the Shinde-Fadnavis government are in the realm of investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in separate money laundering cases registered by the central agency. Ajit Pawar on Sunday joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government with the support of ‘nearly 40 MLAs,’ a claim which could not be immediately verified by the FPJ. However, nine MLAs from the NCP indeed took oath at the Raj Bhavan.
Pawar sworn in with 8 other leaders
Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister, and eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministers. The Ministers who were sworn in are Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dilip Walse Patil, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Anil Patil and Sanjay Bansode. However, following the chaotic split and subsequent oath-taking ceremony, many in the opposition and on social media have pointed out that NCP leaders who have supported the ShindeBJP government are being probed by the ED.
Ajit Pawar
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently submitted its first charge-sheet in its moneylaundering case related to the alleged fraudulent sale of Satara's Jarandeshwar Sahakari Sugar Karkhana (Jarandeshwar SSK) in 2010 by the then MSCB (Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank). The accused firms allegedly the then MSCB officials, according to the ED. The agency is verifying allegations that another firm, Sparkling Soil Pvt Ltd, which had then held majority shares of JSMPL, was linked to NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. However, it is noteworthy that the ED has refrained from explicitly naming Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra as accused in the chargesheet.
Hasan Mushrif
The ED is investigating a money laundering case involving individuals and entities connected to NCP leader Hasan Mushrif. The ED case is linked to a probe related to alleged irregularities in the operation of a Kolhapur-based sugar mill, Sar Senapati Santaji Ghorpade Sugar Factory Limited. The factory is operated and controlled by family members and relatives of Hasan Mushrif. The investigation has revealed the existence of multiple dubious bank accounts that were allegedly used for the diversion of funds, including transfers to entities that hold shares in the aforementioned sugar factory.
Praful Patel
The ED had recently attached certain assets of former Civil Aviation minister and senior NCP leader, Praful Patel, as part of its probe related to late drug trafficker Iqbal Mirchi's assets. Patel and his family's four floors at the Ceejay House, including his 15th-floor residence, had been attached provisionally by the ED in July last year, which was confirmed by the adjudicating authority recently. ED had made enquiries with Patel in October 2019 as part of its enquiry into an alleged 2006-07 joint venture between his company, Millennium Developers Private Limited, and Mirchi for the construction of the 15- storey commercial building.
Chhagan Bhujbal
The ED had arrested Chhagan Bhujbal in 2016 in a money laundering case related to the Maharashtra Sadan scam. He had got bail in 2018 from the Bombay High Court. The ED had alleged that the Bhujbals' received kickbacks for awarding various government contracts, including the Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, to the tune of crores.
