Big Win For NCP Chief Ajit Pawar: I-T Department Clears Seized Properties Worth Over Rs 1,000 Crore In Benami Case

In a big relief to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the Income Tax department has cleared properties valued at over Rs 1,000 crore that were seized in 2021.

The move came after the Prevention of Benami Property Transactions Appellate Tribunal dismissed the charges that he and his family owned benami property.

The tribunal’s verdict came a day after Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, alongside Eknath Shinde, during the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

On 7 October 2021, the Income Tax department conducted raids on various locations associated with Ajit Pawar and his family, over allegations that he held benami assets.

Among the attached properties were a sugar factory in Satara, a flat in Delhi, and a resort in Goa.

The tribunal, however, dismissed these allegations, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. It clarified that the properties were purchased through legitimate financial means and noted the IT department’s failure to establish any link between benami properties and the Pawar family.

"There is no evidence to suggest that Ajit Pawar or his family transferred funds to acquire benami properties...it's not that Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar, and Parth Pawar transferred funds to procure benami properties," the tribunal said.

Advocate Prashant Patil, representing Ajit Pawar and his family, said the allegations had no legal standing and that the family had not done anything wrong.

He emphasised that all property transactions were conducted through legitimate channels, including the banking system, and that the records had no irregularities.

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