The special court hearing cases involving MPs and MLAs has delivered an important verdict in the Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam. Two closure reports filed by the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police have been accepted by the court. In these reports, clean chit was given to late leader Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and Rohit Pawar. The names of many senior politicians who were heads of the bank and its subsidiary companies had come to light in this alleged scam.
Judge Mahesh K. Jadhav also rejected the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea seeking intervention and opposing the closure report. He pointed out that a similar petition filed by ED against the first closure report of the EOW has already been dismissed and an appeal against the same is pending in the Mumbai High Court. The judge also rejected the protest petitions of 50 people, including Anna Hazare, who opposed the closure report.
The court’s detailed order is expected to be available next week. In its intervention petition, ED had said that they are affected parties as their money laundering case is based on the EOW FIR. The ED also said that during their investigation they have taken action against the people concerned and attached their properties, including a mill linked to Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar and Rohit Pawar.
In 2022, the Supreme Court had ruled that when there is no antecedent or scheduled offence, a case cannot proceed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. To prosecute money laundering, a substantive criminal case, i.e. the predicate or schedule offence, is required. In this case the EOW case itself is a schedule offence. Although the court has already rejected the petition, the EOW said that the ED does not have the jurisdiction to file the intervention petition. Also, in the further investigation no cognizable offense was revealed, hence a closure report was presented.
Also read:
Israel and America’s attacks on Iran: Explosion at Khamenei’s office
America-Israel’s ‘Operation Shield of Judah’ begins, massive explosions in Tehran
India’s advisory after attacks on Iran
Comments are closed.