Ajit Pawar’s aides may have got sugar mill assets at throwaway price: Court
Taking cognisance of a chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate, a special court in Mumbai said close associates of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar seem to have acquired assets of a sugar cooperative “at a throwaway price”.The chargesheet, filed by the ED during Ajit Pawar's time in Opposition, highlights one sugar factory that allegedly obtained illegitimate loans from cooperative banks. The scheme involved showcasing the sugar mills as non-performing assets, which were subsequently auctioned off to close aides of politicians. It is alleged that over 50 sugar mills were mortgaged and later auctioned in this manner.There are cogent, sound and prima-facie sufficient grounds to direct issuance of process," said a special court in Mumbai while summoning companies Guru Commodity Services Pvt Ltd and Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills Pvt Ltd and chartered accountant Yogesh Bagrecha. The investigation by the ED revealed that Jarandeshwar SSK, located in Satara, was aucti...