IT Raids on Firms Linked to Ajit Pawar; 'Why Target My Sisters?' He Asks

The Income Tax Department conducted raids at firms related to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

(File Photo: PTI)

Income Tax raids are underway in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur at the premises of various business persons and close aides of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The Income Tax Department on Thursday, 7 October, conducted raids at firms related to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Confirming the news of the raids, which are presently underway, Pawar told reporters: “It is their duty to investigate if they found some irregularities, but it's very unfortunate that our families and friends are targeted by agencies only because of political vendetta.”

Further Pawar was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying that his “only grief” was that they conducted raids on the premises related to his three sisters.

“One of them stays in Kolhapur and other two in Pune," he added, pointing out that he could not understand the reason behind raids on them.

"If raids were conducted because they are my sisters, then people of the state should think about the level the central agencies are being misused.”

Earlier in July, the Enforcement Directorate said that it had attached properties amounting to nearly Rs 65.75 crore in connection with the alleged Maharashtra State Co-operative (MSC) Bank fraud. Pawar was named in this Rs 25,000-crore scam.