MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has confiscated several documents related to properties associated with Anil Pawar, the former civic chief of the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVMC), during searches conducted at 12 locations linked to him this week.
According to ED sources, Pawar allegedly “established multiple entities in the names of family members, relatives, and benamidars to facilitate money laundering of bribed funds.”
The sources further revealed, “The creation of these shell entities aligns with his tenure as VVCMC commissioner in 2022, engaging largely in cash-intensive businesses such as construction and redevelopment.”
Investigations by the ED uncovered a systematic cartel of VVCMC officials, including the commissioner, deputy director of town planning, junior engineers, architects, chartered accountants, and intermediaries, collaborating to execute illegal construction projects within the VVCMC’s jurisdiction. IAS officer Anil Pawar is accused of leading and maintaining this cartel.
Further probing revealed that following Pawar’s assumption of the commissioner role at VVCMC, the commission rate was fixed at Rs 20-25 per square foot for him and Rs 10 per square foot for his subordinate, Y S Reddy, based on the overall project area provided by builders. During the searches, the ED seized Rs 1.33 crore in unaccounted cash, along with a variety of incriminating documents and devices, including property records under the names of relatives and benamidars, as well as cash and cheque deposit slips.
The ED sources indicated that the digital devices seized during the investigation showcased Pawar’s deep involvement in forming a nexus among VVCMC officials, architects, chartered accountants, and intermediaries.
The money laundering case concerns the illegal construction of 41 residential and commercial buildings on both government and private land under VVCMC’s jurisdiction since 2009. This includes a 60-acre plot designated for sewage treatment and waste dumping facilities. Although Pawar was not the VVCMC chief at the time of these constructions, he ignored complaints and took no actions to halt the developments after taking office. The 41 structures were recently demolished following a Bombay High Court ruling, leaving flat buyers without their investments and homes.
In May, the ED conducted raids at 13 locations in Nalasopara, Vasai, Virar, and Hyderabad, confiscating Rs 8.6 crore in unaccounted cash and Rs 23.2 crore worth of jewelry and bullion from Y S Reddy’s residence in Hyderabad, the deputy director of town planning at VVCMC.
Locals in Vasai celebrated with firecrackers and sweets late Tuesday as news of the ED raid spread. They alleged that corruption peaked during Pawar’s administration, characterized by unilateral decision-making. “We also urged the Maharashtra Chief Minister to investigate his wealth and properties,” stated Sushant Patil from the Bhumiputra Sangathan in Vasai.
