MSCB scam: Have no problem if I'm sent to jail, says Sharad Pawar

Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe against him, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he will "welcome" and "enjoy" the jail, if sent to, in the money laundering case.

"I have no problem if I am sent to jail. I will enjoy it instead as I have never experienced it. If someone is thinking to put me behind bars in this case, I will rather welcome it," Pawar told reporters.

Asked if he has been named in the money laundering case as UPA is vocal against the government on several issues, Pawar sarcastically said that he will have to contact Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to know the reason.

Pawar asserted that he will continue campaigning for the party in the Assembly elections.

On September 23, The NCP chief, party leader Ajit Pawar and others were named in an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in connection with the Rs 5,000 crore Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB) scam case.

Apart from Pawar, his nephew Ajit Pawar, Diliprao Deshmukh, Isharlal Jain, Jayant Patil, Shivaji Rao Nalvade, Anand Rao Adsul, Rajendra Shingane, Madan Patil and some others have been named in the case.

The investigation has been initiated based on the FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police following directions from the Bombay High Court, ED sources said.

On September 2, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) seeking to quash the investigation against NCP leader Ajit Pawar and others in connection with the MSCB scam case.

The case pertains to loans given by the bank amounting to crores of rupees to some companies allegedly on the recommendation of Ajit Pawar and some others, who were directors of the bank between the years 2005-2010. The bank had to suffer losses as the companies never returned the loan.

(ANI)

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