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India: NCP leader Rohit Pawar questioned by ED in money laundering case

India: NCP leader Rohit Pawar questioned by ED in money laundering case

File photo of Rohit Pawar.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharad Pawar faction)leader Rohit Pawar was on Wednesday (Jan 24) questioned by theEnforcement Directorate (ED) -central government agency -in a money laundering case in the Indian state of Maharashtra, reported news agencyANI.

Pawar, 38, the grandnephew of NCP President and veteran Indian politician Sharad Pawar, was questioned for a full day. Exiting the ED office, Pawar told reporters, "The questioning went on for 24 hours. I answered all the questions and submitted relevant documents. On February 1, I will submit the other documents requested by the officials."

"I cooperated with the officials... People think that all of this is politically motivated...," he added.

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Hitting out at the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, Pawar said that politicians like Sanjay Shirsat (Shiv Sena) and others were speaking lies and making false allegations against him and the NCP.

"Some leaders think I'm a child in this politics," the NCP leader said adding that under Sharad Pawar's leadership, the NCP will fight against the Shinde govt in elections and will come back stronger.

The case in which the 38-year-old leader is being questioned is related to the Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) bank scam which involved the alleged fraudulent disbursal of loans amounting to Rs 25,000 crores. The case triggered the filing of a PIL petition in the Bombay High Court.

The petition sheddinglight on the modus operandi of the fraud said thatsome sugar mills defaulted on the loans that were given without due diligence. These mills were attached by MSC and auctioned to various office bearers of the bank and politicians.

On Wednesday evening, NCP workers held celebrations outside the ED office after Pawar's questioning was concluded.

(With inputs from agencies)