Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar appeared before a special court in Mumbai on Thursday in connection with the alleged Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB) scam, dismissing the chargesheet against him as "bogus." The case, rooted in a 2019 Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) FIR, accuses former MSCB officers and directors of fraudulently selling cooperative sugar mills (SSKs) at undervalued prices to relatives and private entities, bypassing due process.

Special Judge Satyanarayan Navander, presiding over cases involving MPs and MLAs, had last month acknowledged a fresh chargesheet implicating Pawar, stating that he "knowingly participated in this fraudulent acquisition." The court issued summons to Pawar, the Karjat-Jamkhed assembly representative, and other accused named in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) third supplementary chargesheet, which now lists 17 accused, including Pawar’s firm, Baramati Agro Limited, and close associate Rajendra Ingwale.

Pawar’s advocates, Dixita Gohil and Pranjal Agarwal, argued before the court that the prosecution’s claims lack merit and reserved the right to challenge the charges. The court, noting Pawar’s compliance and reputation, recorded his appearance without imposing conditions and directed him to execute a Personal Recognizance (PR) Bond. The next hearing is scheduled for October 8.

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The ED alleges that in 2009, MSCB seized assets of Kannad SSK Limited in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to recover an Rs 80.56 crore loan under the SARFAESI Act. In 2012, the bank allegedly auctioned the mill at a "very low" reserve price based on a questionable valuation. The ED claims Baramati Agro Limited secured the bid after the highest bidder was disqualified on dubious grounds, and another bidder, a close associate of Pawar’s firm, lacked the financial capacity or expertise to operate a sugar mill.

Pawar, who has been questioned by the ED twice, maintains his innocence, accusing the authorities of politically motivated targeting. The high-profile case has intensified scrutiny on cooperative bank practices and sparked debates over accountability in Maharashtra’s political and business circles, with Pawar vowing to fight the allegations in court.

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