A Clean Chit to Ajit Pawar in Rs 1,000 Crore Benami Property Case

The Chandigarh News

Chit to Ajit Pawar: In a major relief, the Income Tax Department has given a clean chit to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP ally Ajit Pawar of holding benami properties worth more than ₹1,000 crore. The ruling was delivered by the Prevention of Benami Property Transactions Appellate Tribunal, which dismissed the charges due to lack of evidence.

Controversies arose after the Income Tax Department raided properties linked to the Pawar family on 7th October, 2021. Such raided properties included a sugar factory at Satara, a flat in Delhi, and a resort at Goa. The accusations brought forth against these properties is that they were benami possessions, that is, property held under illegal or unjust means.

However, the tribunal ruled that the properties were purchased through clean financial means. It declared, “There is no evidence to suggest that Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar, or Parth Pawar transferred funds to procure benami properties. The acquisitions were made transparently using the banking system, and no irregularities were found.

This decision was made only a day after Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister along with Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena in the swearing-in ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Advocate Prashant Patil, legal counsel to Ajit Pawar, said, “The family has acted lawfully at all times. The transactions were transparent, and the records show no discrepancies.” The verdict proved the integrity of the Pawar family, he added.

It should add to the political standing of Ajit Pawar, more so when his alliance with the BJP is considered in Maharashtra. In any case, for the moment, the ruling gives considerable relief to the Pawar family, as the long and tiresome legal battle over benami properties is finally put to rest after two years.