Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam: FIR filed against former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, others

MUMBAI: Mumbai Police on Monday registered an FIR against senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and other functionaries in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam case on the directions of the Bombay High Court.

Other accused include Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) leader Jayant Patil and officials from the superseded bank's units in 34 districts in the state, an official said.

"We have registered an offence at MRA Marg police station based on the complaint of Economic Offences Wing," an official said.

On August 22, a bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and S K Shinde of the High Court said there was "credible evidence" against the accused in the case and directed the EOW to file an FIR within five days.

The accused were allegedly complicit in causing losses to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore to MSCB between 2007 and 2011.

An inspection by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) as well as a charge sheet filed by a quasi-judicial enquiry commission under the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies (MCS) Act blamed the "decisions, actions and inactions" of Pawar and the other accused of the loss.

The NABARD audit report revealed a breach of several banking laws and RBI guidelines by the accused in the distribution of loans to sugar factories and spinning mills and subsequent default on repayment and recovery of such loans.

Local activist Surinder Arora filed a complaint with the EOW in 2015 and approached the high court, seeking that an FIR is registered.

In view of the deficiencies pointed out by NABARD, the RBI had in May 2011 directed to supersede the MSCB board of directors and appoint an administrator to look after its affairs.

The HC had last week held that prima facie, NABARD's inspection report, the complaint, and the charge sheet under the MCS Act showed there existed "credible evidence" against the accused in the case.