In a major development, the Thane Rural Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested Harish alias ‘Bhau’ Daroda, nephew of Ajit Pawar faction’s Shahapur MLA Daulat Daroda, nearly two years after a case was registered against him in a multi-crore rice procurement scam.
The arrest has triggered political tremors in Shahapur, especially since Harish Daroda had recently joined the Ajit Pawar faction in a high-profile induction ceremony, only weeks before being taken into custody.
Accused of Diverting 5,000 Quintals of Rice
Harish Daroda had been shown “absconding on paper” for more than a year after an FIR was lodged at Kinhavali Police Station in December 2023.
He is accused of misappropriating 5,000 quintals of rice from the Sakadbaav procurement centre in Shahapur taluka.
According to the complaint, Harish along with several officials allegedly created fake and bogus farmer receipts to divert stock and siphon government funds.
₹1.5-Crore Scam at Sakadbaav Centre Linked to ₹16-Crore District-Wide Irregularities
Investigators revealed that the Adivasi Development Corporation in Thane district had emerged as a hub of corruption in rice procurement.
Over the past two to three years, irregularities worth nearly ₹16 crore have surfaced across multiple centres.
At the Sakadbaav centre alone, a scam valued at ₹1.5 crore was detected.
Those named in the FIR include:
Harish Daroda, Chairman, Sakadbaav Adivasi Vividh Karyakari Sahakari Society
Sanjay Pandhare, Secretary
Jayram Sogir, Centre Head
Vijay Gangurde, then Regional Manager, Jawhar
Avinash Rathod, then Deputy Regional Manager, Shahapur
Samadhan Nagre, then Marketing Inspector
All the accused allegedly forged invoices and procurement receipts in farmers’ names, causing financial loss to both the state treasury and the Adivasi Development Corporation.
EOW Confirms Arrest; Probe Expected to Deepen
Senior Police Inspector Sunil Bachhav of the Thane Rural EOW confirmed that Harish Daroda was arrested from Shahapur on Wednesday.
He added that the investigation is intensifying, and more revelations are likely as officials scrutinise documents, financial records, and statements.
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