Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and his family have been exonerated of benami property ownership claims, which is a great relief. The Prevention of Benami Property Transactions Appellate Tribunal issued a ruling in this respect the day after Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister on Thursday.
Following the ruling, the Income Tax Department on Friday freed assets worth more than Rs 1,000 crore that had been sealed during searches in 2021.
The IT Department raided several locations linked to Ajit Pawar and his family in October 2021, alleged to have held properties through benami transactions. The department seized multiple land parcels across Maharashtra, a flat in Delhi, Jarandeshwar Sugar Factory in Satara, and a resort in Goa.
The tribunal found no substantial evidence against Pawar owning the benami properties and found all financial transactions for the properties were made through legitimate channels.
Advocate Prashant Patil argued that Pawar’s family had not committed any wrongdoing and that the allegations were baseless and did not have any legal standing under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act.
The evidence submitted by the Income Tax Department failed to demonstrate any connection between the Pawar family and benami properties.
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