MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against former Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCM) chief Anil Pawar (IAS), town planning deputy director Y.S. Reddy, and 16 others over a money laundering case related to illegal building constructions.
As part of the investigation, the ED has attached properties worth around ₹71 crore belonging to the accused and builders who constructed 41 illegal buildings in Vasai Virar, which are now set for demolition following a Bombay High Court ruling.
In August, the ED arrested Pawar, Reddy, and two others; they are currently in custody.
The ED collected statements from several builders and architects who admitted to bribing Pawar, Reddy, and other VVCM officials to expedite their construction proposals. One builder claimed to have paid ₹15 crore to Reddy and Pawar for their assistance in clearing his files.
Prior to the arrests, the ED also seized ₹8.6 crore in unaccounted cash and ₹23.2 crore worth of jewelry from Reddy’s residence. Moreover, ₹1.3 crore in unaccounted cash belonging to Pawar was discovered at a relative’s property, along with various property documents.
The agency has also gathered evidence indicating that a relative of Pawar received a cash bribe of ₹3.4 crore, allegedly delivered through an angadia.
This money laundering case stems from multiple FIRs regarding the unauthorized development of 41 residential and commercial buildings on government and private lands under the Vasai-Virar municipal authority. These buildings were demolished following a recent court order.
