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MSCB scam: Court discharges NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar, others in ED case
A Mumbai special court discharged Rohit Pawar and 16 co-accused in the ED money laundering case related to the MSCB scam, ruling the case stood closed after accepting the ED's closure report. The ED's case traces to an August 2019 FIR and involved multiple complaints against 17 people, with prior appellate actions and petitions continuing unresolved. The ED had opposed discharge petitions, citing a 2021 writ petition in the Bombay High Court challenging its intervention.
Why It Matters
The ruling closes a high-profile case linked to governance concerns in Maharashtra's cooperative banking sector and has political ramifications for the NCP (SP) leadership, while keeping scrutiny over the MSCB scam ongoing through related petitions and investigations.
Timeline
5 Events
March 2023 to July 2025: ED files main prosecution and supplementary complaints
March 2023 to July 2025
The Enforcement Directorate filed one main prosecution complaint and three supplementary complaints against a total of 17 persons in connection with the case.
January 2007 to December 2017: Alleged losses of ₹25,000 crore due to MSCB loan irregularities
January 2007 to December 2017
The EOW alleged that irregular disbursal of loans at Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB) caused losses of ₹25,000 crore to the state exchequer.
April 22, 2026: Special court discharges Rohit Pawar and 16 others; case stands closed
April 22, 2026
Special judge Mahesh Jadhav discharged Rohit Pawar (NCP MLA) and 16 co-accused named in the ED case; the court ruled that the case stood closed after accepting the EOW's closure report.
2021: Bombay High Court hears ED intervention petition
2021
A writ petition challenging the earlier rejection of ED's intervention application was pending before the Bombay High Court.
August 2019: FIR registered by EOW leading to ED case
August 2019
Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing registered an FIR alleging fraudulent sale of Sahakari Sakhar Karkhanas by MSCB officers at throwaway prices to relatives or private persons without due procedure.