- By Kamal Kumar
- Sat, 07 Dec 2024 09:56 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a major relief to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP ally Ajit Pawar, the Income Tax Department cleared charges related to properties worth over Rs 1,000 crore seized in 2021. The Prevention of Benami Property Transactions Appellate Tribunal dismissed allegations of benami ownership involving Pawar and his family.
The ruling, notably, came just a day after Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister alongside Sena leader Eknath Shinde, during Devendra Fadnavis's oath-taking as Chief Minister.
The Income Tax Department conducted raids on multiple properties linked to the NCP leader and his family on October 7, 2021, over allegations of holding benami assets. Among the attached properties were a sugar factory in Satara, a flat in Delhi, and a resort in Goa, an NDTV report stated.
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The tribunal rejected the allegations, citing insufficient evidence. It noted that the properties were acquired through legitimate financial channels and further said that the Income Tax Department could not prove any connection between the 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, who represents the politician and his family, dismissed the allegations as baseless, stating that the family had acted lawfully. He emphasized that the property acquisitions were conducted transparently through legal channels, including the banking system, and affirmed that the records showed no discrepancies.