Ajit Pawar's Political Career: Navigating Corruption Allegations and Legal Challenges
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, has faced numerous corruption allegations throughout his political journey. These cases, spanning cooperative banking irregularities, irrigation project scandals, and family-related land disputes, have witnessed multiple investigations, closure reports, and legal reversals. While investigating agencies have probed these matters at various points, the outcomes have often shifted with changing political landscapes and administrative decisions.
Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank Case: A Rs 1,300 Crore Investigation
The Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank case, involving approximately Rs 1,300 crore, emerged following directives from the Bombay High Court. This investigation focused on loans extended to sugar factories by cooperative banks, including the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank, where Ajit Pawar served as a director from 1995 onwards.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that several sugar factories were intentionally portrayed as financially unviable entities. These units were subsequently declared as non-performing assets before being sold at significantly reduced prices to companies allegedly connected to relatives of bank officials, including Pawar's family members.
Key Transaction Under Scrutiny: The sale of Jarandeshwar Sugar Sahakari Karkhana in Satara district became a focal point of the investigation. Authorities claimed that funds used to purchase this factory originated from two firms: Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills Pvt Ltd and Jay Agrotech. Notably, Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, served as a director of Jay Agrotech until 2008, while his uncle, Rajendra Ghadge, was a director of Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills.
Legal Developments and Political Influences: This case has experienced multiple reversals since 2020. During the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's tenure, the EOW submitted a closure report, asserting that no criminal offense had been committed. However, following the government change in 2022, the agency sought to reopen the investigation. In January 2024, months after Pawar aligned with the ruling alliance, the EOW again concluded that no offense was established, noting that the bank had recovered over Rs 1,343 crore from the disputed loans.
Currently, protest petitions challenging the closure report remain pending before the court, which must decide whether to accept the report or order further investigation. In the related ED case, Ajit Pawar has not been charge-sheeted, though his nephew, NCP SP leader Rohit Pawar, was named as an accused in July 2025.
Irrigation Scam: Alleged Rs 70,000 Crore Irregularities
Ajit Pawar also faced investigation in the alleged irrigation scam, estimated at around Rs 70,000 crore. This case revolved around purported irregularities, cost escalations, and procedural violations in approving and executing irrigation projects during Pawar's tenure as Water Resources Minister in the Congress-NCP government.
Although initially named as an accused, the Nagpur and Amravati units of the Anti-Corruption Bureau filed affidavits before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court in December 2019. These documents stated that no wrongdoing was detected in projects under their jurisdiction, effectively providing Pawar with a clean chit in those specific cases. Throughout these proceedings, Pawar consistently denied all corruption allegations.
Parth Pawar and the Mahar Watan Land Controversy
In 2025, Ajit Pawar confronted additional challenges when his son, Parth Pawar, faced allegations regarding the transfer of land classified as Mahar watan. This category of land enjoys legal protection and cannot be freely transferred or sold without proper authorization.
Opposition parties claimed that parcels of this protected land had been transferred in a manner benefiting individuals connected to the Pawar family, demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter.
Pawar's Response and Current Status: Ajit Pawar denied any wrongdoing by his son, attributing the transfer to an administrative or clerical error. He emphasized that neither he nor Parth Pawar sought special benefits, stating that the issue was being rectified through official procedures. According to Pawar, the land had been restored to its original owners, with revenue officials instructed to correct the records accordingly.
Pawar urged against politicizing the matter, advocating for any identified mistakes to be corrected as per legal provisions. As of now, no charge sheet has been filed against Parth Pawar concerning the Mahar watan land issue, with the matter remaining under administrative scrutiny.
The trajectory of these cases highlights the complex interplay between political dynamics, investigative processes, and legal outcomes in Maharashtra's governance landscape.
