Income tax department raids premises of serving Maharashtra minister

The Income Tax department Thursday has commenced raids and search operations at premises linked to a serving Maharashtra cabinet minister, sources said.

These raids and searches are being carried at multiple locations including those in Pune, Mumbai and Goa , sources added.

According to the people in the know, amongst the premises searched by the tax sleuths include

Jarendeshwar sugar cooperatives factory (SCF) and another SCF in Daund. Premises of a builder linked to the minister in Goa and Mumbai is also being searched.

In July, the Enforcement Directorate attached Rs 65 crore of assets belonging to Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sugar Karkhana (SSK), a Koregaon, Satara-based sugar cooperative factory linked to Maharashtra deputy chief minister AjitPawar.

The assets were seized in connection with the central agency’s money laundering probe into alleged financial irregularities at Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB).

According to the ED, a company linked to Pawar’s maternal uncle had bought SSK from MSCB at a “throw away price” in an auction at a time when Pawar was on the board of the cooperative bank, it said in a press release.

The probe had found that the bid amount was funded through a group of companies linked to Pawar, including two where Pawar and his wife were former directors, the ED said in its order to attach the assets.(yes)

Pawar is among the 70-odd politicians probed by the agency for alleged irregularities in the cooperative bank. Based on complaints, the agency had pegged the scam at Rs 25,000 crore.

Recently the Income tax department had concluded raids of builders linked to Congress leader, Ashok Chavan.

The MVA government had defended the raids calling them politically motivated.