MUMBAI: Anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania on Saturday expressed shock over the clean chit given to Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in an alleged Benami property case. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has cleared Ajit Pawar and his family members of the Rs 1,000 crore benami property allegations. Ms. Damania alleged that it was yet another classic example of misuse of government machinery by the BJP.The appellate tribunal’s order came a day after Mr. Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister on December 4. “First they start inquiries by EOW and other agencies, get the Income Tax to conduct raid and induct the same person into the BJP. Ajit Pawar got the post of DCM for the sixth time. He got his property worth Rs 100 crore back. Now why will he part ways with the BJP? This is being done to every other party,” Ms Damania said.Terming it as a blackmail of political leaders from other parties, the activist further added, “It has become a modus operandi (of the BJP). First, file cases using the government agencies. Then induct the leaders in BJP and withdraw the cases against them. All political parties are the same and they have everyone’s file. These files are used to blackmail leaders and bring them in BJP. This order (regarding Ajit Pawar’s case) is a clear cut example.”In October 2021, the Income Tax Department conducted raids on several companies, recovering documents that purportedly linked certain properties to Ajit Pawar and his family under benami ownership. However, the tribunal rejected these claims on December 12, 2022, declaring that the allegations lacked sufficient evidence.A deputy commissioner of Income Tax had challenged the tribunal’s order. However, the appellate tribunal also held that no case was made against Mr. Pawar and his family members and refused to interfere in the impugned order of the tribunal.In its detailed ruling, the appellate tribunal noted that no irregularities were found in the records presented. It stated, “The material produced by the appellant does not show any benami transaction.”It also said that all payments for the properties in question were made through legitimate channels, either via banking systems or other methods compliant with the law. “It is not that Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar transferred funds to procure benami properties,” the appellate tribunal said.Dismissing the allegations that the tribunal order had anything to do with him joining the BJP, Mr. Pawar said, “When did I join the BJP? It has been around 1.5 years. We should not take the allegations seriously every time.” He was referring to the fact that the tribunal order came in December 2022 and he joined the BJP-led Mahayuti in July 2023.The case pertains to allegations that Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank auctioned Jarandeshwar Co-operative Sugar Mill in 2010 at a reduced price when Ajit Pawar served on the MSCB board. Guru Commodity Services Pvt Ltd purchased the mill, partially funded by Sparkling Soil Pvt Ltd, associated with Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra. Allegations claimed Guru Commodity Services acted as a proxy owner, with actual control residing with Pawar’s Sparkling Soil company.In 2021, I-T searched approximately 70 premises across Mumbai, Pune, Baramati, Goa, and Jaipur, discovering unaccounted and benami transactions worth Rs 183 crore. They subsequently attached properties valued over Rs 1,000 crore allegedly controlled by Ajit Pawar’s family and associates.Speaking about the IT Appellate Tribunal’s relief to Mr. Pawar, Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said, “Let the opposition say whatever they want to say. This is a judicial decision.”
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