A special court in Mumbai on Friday, February 27, has accepted the Economic Offences Wing’s C-Summary report, giving a clean chit to political leaders, including the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in the alleged Rs 25,000 crore loan scam linked to the Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) Bank. The court said no punishable offence had been established.
Special MP-MLA Court Judge Mahesh Jadhav approved the closure report submitted by the Economic Offences Wing and dismissed protest petitions filed by social activist Anna Hazare and others. The ruling came nearly a month after Pawar’s death.
What is the Case About?
According to the EOW, the state exchequer allegedly suffered a loss of around Rs 25,000 crore due to irregular loan disbursements to sugar factories, yarn mills and other cooperative institutions through district central cooperative banks and the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank. The probe began in 2019 after directions from the Bombay High Court.
The case saw several twists. The first closure report was filed during the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s tenure. After the change of power in 2022, authorities attempted to restart the investigation. A fresh closure report was filed in January 2024, which the original complainants opposed, leading to renewed petitions.
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Key Quotes
EOW Report: “No cognisable or punishable offence has been established during the investigation.”
Court Observations: “The material placed on record does not support the allegations made in the complaint.”
Petitioners’ Stand: “The closure report ignores critical findings and must not be accepted,” the protest petition had argued.