Mumbai, Mar 6 (PTI) NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Friday moved a discharge application before a special court here in connection with the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB) 'scam' case.

Pawar, who filed the application through his advocate Kushal Mor, claimed no money laundering case is made out as the predicate offence has been closed.

The MSCB money laundering case stemmed from an August 2019 FIR filed by the Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) that alleged fraudulent sale of SSKs (Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana or cooperative sugar mills) by the then officers and directors of MSCB at throwaway prices to their relatives/private persons without following due procedure.

Besides Pawar, his close associate and businessman Rajendra Ingwale and five others have sought discharge in the case.

The special judge for MPs/MLAs cases, Mahesh Jadhav asked ED the file its response by March 17.

Pawar, who represents the Karjat-Jamkhed assembly seat in Ahilyanagar district, was named as an accused in the third chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate in July last year.

The probe agency has alleged that MSCB, in order to recover an outstanding loan of Rs 80.56 crore of Kannad SSK Limited in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, took possession of its assets on July 13, 2009 under Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act.

The MSCB then conducted an auction on August 30, 2012 of Kannad SSK by fixing a "very low" reserve price based on a questionable valuation report, the ED alleged.

"Apart from Baramati Agro Limited, two other parties entered the bidding process. The bidder with the highest bid was technically disqualified on flimsy grounds, whereas the other bidder was already a close business associate of Baramati Agro Ltd with no financial capacity or experience of running a sugar unit," it said. PTI AVI BNM

Money laundering: Discharge sought after predicate offence closure; enforcement agency ordered to respond to the challenge. A public representative has moved a discharge application under money laundering law, arguing no money laundering offence is made out because the predicate offence has been closed. The Enforcement Directorate's prosecution follows an FIR alleging that a cooperative bank, after taking possession under SARFAESI, conducted an allegedly undervalued auction of a sugar mill asset based on a questionable valuation and disputed bidder disqualifications, and the court has directed the agency to respond to discharge applications.