During the period of 1999 to 2009 when the alleged scams took place, Ajit Pawar was the Chairman of VIDC.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. (Photo: Twitter/@AjitPawarSpeaks)
A fresh affidavit has been filed by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau in the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur bench, giving a clean chit to the NCP leader Ajit Pawar in alleged scams, officials said on Friday.
These scams were concerning a dozen irrigation projects under the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC).
The affidavit was filed on Thursday by Director General, ACB, Parambir Singh which states that “no criminal liability is disclosed during the course of inquiry/investigations by the Special Investigation Team” on Ajit Pawar’s role in the issue.
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Earlier on November 27, an affidavit was submitted to the same court that ruled out Ajit Pawar’s involvement in any of the cases of alleged irregularities in sanctioning and executing the VIDC projects, into the total alleged Rs 70,000 crore scam.
It is to be noted that the affidavit was filed after the 80-hour government of Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar which collapsed.
During the period of 1999 to 2009 when the alleged scams took place, Ajit Pawar was the Chairman of VIDC and Devendra Fadnavis during his political campaign during the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly election said to put Pawar behind the bars when voted into power.
However, the ACB cleared the air by saying that it is probing a total of 2,654 tenders pertaining to 45 VIDC projects as per two PILs filed in 2012 before The Nagpur bench of the high court. It further said that the open probe was completed in 212 tenders, FIRs were filed in 24 cases and charge sheets in another five cases.
The cases that were closed on November 25 by ACB involved big and small VIDC projects in Washim, Amravati and Buldhana, and clubbed with others, were collectively known as the sensational Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam.
However, in its affidavit on November 27, the ACB had maintained that the probe continues and in some cases, charge sheets have been filed and FIRs lodged.
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