ED searches premises linked to Sharad Pawar’s grand nephew’s firm

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday raided the premises of Baramati Agro Private Limited, a Maharashtra-based company whose CEO is NCP MLA and Sharad Pawar’s grand nephew, Rohit Pawar.

Reacting strongly to the agency’s action, the party’s Sharad Pawar faction said BJP’s insecurity over Rohit Pawar’s recent Yuva Sangharsh Yatra prompted the searches.

NCP (Sharad Pawar group) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the central agency’s searches will not deter Rohit Pawar. “He will come out stronger. It is clear that the Sangharsh Yatra has hit a nerve and made the BJP insecure,” Crasto claimed.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya demanded a quick probe into the allegations.

“We requested ED to investigate acquisition of Kannad cooperative sugar factory by Rohit Pawar’s Baramati Agro at a very much undervalued price of ₹50 cr through manipulated auction of Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank. I once again request all investigative agencies to expedite investigation against Rohit Pawar and Baramati Agro,” Somaiya said.

The agency searched the premises of the company as part of its money laundering probe into the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam. It searched six locations in Baramati, Pune, Pimpri and Aurangabad.

Rohit Pawar, 38, is an NCP MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed seat in the Maharashtra assembly.

He is a first-time MLA. He is currently abroad on a family vacation.

Last year, he spearheaded a march from Pune to Nagpur to highlight issues faced by the young population in Maharashtra.

He is the nephew of cousins Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar.

The probe against his firm pertains to allegations of “diversion” of funds and deposit of earnest funds of a company that bid for the purchase of a Maharashtra-based ailing cooperative sugar factory (CSF), PTI reported.