The Income Tax (I-T) Department on Thursday morning raided firms and sugar factories related to Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. Raids were carried out across the State. Pawar, while speaking to the media, confirmed the raids saying that his companies have not defaulted on paying taxes.

MH Co-operative Bank scam

According to reports, raids were carried out on firms and sugar factories said to be owned by relatives or people close to Pawar in Pune, Satara, and Kolhapur.

Sources said that I-T teams raided the Daund Sugar Factory in Pune district, the Jarandeshwar sugar factory in Satara district, the Ambalika sugar factory in Ahmednagar, and Schreiber Dynamix Dairies (Baramati) among other businesses.

Local police were not involved in the action and CRPF jawans assisted I-T officials. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets of over ₹65 crore of Jarandeshwar mill run by Pawar’s relatives. The ED is probing into the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank scam providing loans to political leaders to acquire sugar mills running in losses.

“Politically motivated”

Speaking to the media, Pawar said that his sisters have been married now for about 40 years. People in the State must think of what is going on in the State.

Also see: Maharashtra co-operative fraud: How co-op sugar mills become private properties

“I don’t have to say anything about it (raids) on companies and organisations. They (I-T Department officials) can do what they feel appropriate. But I am not able to understand that how one can indulge in such low-level politics,” said Pawar.

“I know that tax should not be evaded and must be paid properly. All companies related to me pay tax on time. But income tax officer will be able to tell you if raids were politically motivated or they wanted some other information,” he added.

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