Ahead of Fadnavis trust vote, Ajit Pawar cleared in Irrigation Scam

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Ahead of Fadnavis trust vote, Ajit Pawar cleared in Irrigation Scam

These nine cases pertain to big and small irrigation projects in Washim, Yavatmal, Amravati and Buldhana

Monday November 25, 2019 6:33 PM, ummid.com with inputs from IANS

[Ajit Pawar (right) after swearing-in ceremony early in the morning Saturday. CM Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra Governor are also seen in the picture.]

Mumbai: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday gave a clean chit in some of cases allegedly involving Maharstra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, days before Devendra Fadnavis trust vote in the state assembly.

The ACB has closed the investigations into at least nine cases in which Ajit Pawar was allegedly involved - though it is not clear if he was directly named on the first day of the new government taking office, 48 hours after it was sworn-in early on Saturday.

These nine cases pertain to big and small irrigation projects in Washim, Yavatmal, Amravati and Buldhana of the Vidarbha region, according to a notification issued by the ACB, Mumbai.

Director-General, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Parambir Singh, however, maintained that "none of these cases closed today pertain to DCM Ajit Pawar".

The cases, among others, collectively known as the Rs 70,000 crore 'irrigation scam' were allegedly perpetrated around 10 years ago and had created a massive political furore in the past, with the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, Aam Aadmi Party and others raising it regularly.

Ajit Pawar cliamed split in the NCP on Friday evening and said he had support of 54 party MLAs. Consequently, he was sworn-in as Deputy Chief Minister along with Devendra Fadnavis as CM.

Later events in the day however said Ajit Pawar did not have support of the NCP MLAs who said they were with Sharad Pawar, according to the NCP sources.

The NCP which is contemplating a government in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena and Congress support approached Supreme Court seeking urgent floor test.

After two days of hearing the Supreme Court will pronoune its verdict Tuesday at 10:30 am Tuesday.

'Cases can be re-opened'

The officials also said that Monday's closures are conditional and the files could be reopened if more information comes to light during investigations or on a court order for further probes.

The Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) has taken strong objections to the sudden closure of these alleged scam cases with a threat to launch an agitation and also counter it legally.

"In these nine cases alone pertaining to the VIDC matters, there are very serious allegations of misuse or siphoning off of over Rs 9,000 crore. After so many years, how can they be abruptly closed?" VJAS President Kishore Tiwari told IANS.

He said that the manner in which it has come two days after the new government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was sworn-in, itself makes the ACB's move "very suspicious" and would be challenged at all levels.

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