Rohit Pawar, an MLA affiliated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the grandnephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, has affirmed his commitment to participate in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) investigation related to the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) case. Summoned to appear before the ED on January 24, Rohit Pawar shared via Twitter that he will be present at the probe agency's office, accompanied by former and working president Supriya Sule.
Preceding this announcement, Rohit Pawar's office had communicated with the ED on January 19, expressing the MLA's readiness to cooperate and requesting flexibility in the appearance date. The email conveyed Rohit Pawar's willingness to cooperate but suggested alternative dates, particularly between January 22 and 24, due to ongoing Maratha Morcha protests near Mumbai.
While there was no response from the ED to Rohit Pawar's office email, the NCP MLA took to Twitter to inform the public about his intended appearance on January 24. In his tweet, Rohit Pawar expressed his willingness to cooperate with the authorities but also alluded to political pressures, stating that there was a significant amount of government influence on institutions.
He cautioned against potential wrongful actions by the ED and called for unity in support of Sharad Pawar and those upholding Maharashtra's self-respect and constitutional values. Rohit Pawar also shared his personal sentiments, highlighting the impact of the situation on his family and acknowledging the support of Supriya Tai and Sharad Pawar.
The ongoing ED investigation focuses on Baramati Agro, a company associated with Rohit Pawar, in connection with the MSCB case. The allegations involve the alleged misuse of funds borrowed as working capital from various banks and institutions by Baramati Agro for the acquisition of a firm, Kannad SSK, which was previously declared a sick unit by the MSCB and later auctioned. The investigation indicates that the auction process was manipulated, with funds diverted and loans sanctioned under questionable circumstances.
