ED raids Baramati company of NCP chief’s grand nephew

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday searched premises of Baramati Agro, a company owned by MLA Rohit Pawar, grand nephew of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, and linked entities as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam, official sources said.

At least six locations in Baramati, Pune, Pimpri and Aurangabad are being searched, they said. The office of Baramati Agro in Baramati town is also being covered. Rohit Pawar, 38, is NCP MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed seat in the Maharashtra assembly and is the owner and CEO of Baramati Agro. Rohit is the nephew of Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar, the Deputy chief minister of the state and MLA from Baramati.

The probe against his firm pertains to allegations of “diversion” of funds and deposit of earnest funds of a company that bid for the purchase of a Maharashtra-based ailing cooperative sugar factor.