Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar received a major boost in Benami case as the Prevention of Benami Property Transactions Appellate Tribunal dismissed the benami property charges against him and his family.
Following the tribunal’s verdict, the Income Tax (I-T) Department has released properties worth over Rs 1,000 crore that were seized during a 2021 investigation.
The tribunal’s ruling came just a day after Ajit Pawar took office as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, alongside Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister, in a ceremony at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan.
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The tribunal found no evidence supporting claims of benami property ownership. It ruled that all payments for the disputed properties were made through legitimate channels, clearing Pawar and his family of any wrongdoing.
“There is no evidence to suggest that Ajit Pawar or his family transferred funds to acquire benami properties,” the tribunal stated.
Ajit Pawar’s lawyer, Prashant Patil, strongly refuted the charges, calling them baseless and motivated. He also provided evidence of legal transactions conducted through banking channels.
In 2021, the I-T Department had raided multiple locations linked to Ajit Pawar, including his residence, office, and properties of his relatives and aides. The raids led to the attachment of several assets, including a sugar factory in Satara, a flat in Delhi, and a resort in Goa.
The I-T Department had previously attached these properties under the Prohibition of Benami Properties Prevention Act (PBPP), totaling over Rs 1,000 crore.
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