Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at multiple locations linked to former Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) Commissioner Anil Kumar Pawar, in connection with a money laundering probe into unauthorised construction on 60 acres of government and private land earmarked for public utilities.
About The Action
The ED action comes just a day after Pawar, a 2014-batch IAS officer, was given a formal farewell at the VVMC headquarters on monday in the presence of current and former MLAs from the Vasai-Virar region. He vacated the post following a transfer order issued by the Maharashtra government. IAS officer M.M. Suryawanshi has been appointed as his successor.
According to sources, ED teams conducted searches at the residential and official premises of Anil Pawar, along with 12 other locations across Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik linked to his associates, family members, and alleged benamidars. The investigation stems from the unauthorised construction of 41 buildings on a land parcel reserved for a sewage treatment plant and dumping ground, allegedly in violation of the city’s approved development plan.
Following a Bombay High Court directive dated July 8, 2024, all 41 structures were demolished by February 20, 2025, leaving thousands of families homeless. A Special Leave Petition filed by affected residents before the Supreme Court was dismissed.
The ED has uncovered what it describes as a “powerful syndicate” operating from within the VVCMC, comprising senior civic officials, political operatives, and unscrupulous builders, who allegedly conspired to to turn public land into a private goldmine According to agency officials, the group used forged approvals, manipulated zoning clearances, and fabricated sale deeds to facilitate large-scale unauthorised construction on a 60-acre land parcel earmarked for public infrastructure projects.
Agency suspects that during his tenure as Commissioner of VVCMC, Pawar played a facilitative role in the alleged irregularities and may have derived personal gains. “The constructions were in violation of zoning and environmental norms and resulted in substantial losses to the civic body, while conferring undue advantage on private individuals,” a senior ED official said.
The investigation has revealed that several individuals behind the 41 unauthorised buildings were not actual developers but real estate brokers, projected as builders to create a façade of legitimacy. These brokers were backed by forged paperwork, internal collusion, and the silent support of VVCMC insiders who ensured no questions were asked.
In May, the agency had carried out coordinated searches at 13 locations across Nalasopara, Vasai, Virar, and Hyderabad. These led to the seizure of unaccounted assets worth over Rs 32 crore, including Rs 8.6 crore in cash and diamond-studded jewellery and bullion valued at Rs 23.25 crore. The most significant recovery was made from the residence of Yumiganu Shiva Reddy, Deputy Director of Town Planning at VVCMC.
According to the sources, Reddy’s statement has turned into a bombshell. Under sustained questioning, the suspended Deputy Director of Town Planning is said to have exposed a powerful and entrenched syndicate operating from within the very heart of the VVCMC. His disclosures point to a well-oiled collusion involving senior civic officials, influential local politicians, fixers, and shadowy liaison agents who acted as the bridge between illegal developers and the corridors of power.
This tightly knit network allegedly sanctioned unauthorised constructions by blatantly overriding zoning regulations, environmental guidelines, and the city's officially approved development blueprint. Files were cleared not on merit, but through manipulation, pressure, and payoff transforming regulated urban planning into an underground real estate racket.
According to investigators, between 2009 and 2012, the 60-acre land parcel, legally designated for public infrastructure, was encroached upon and converted into a hub of illegal construction. The accused developers are alleged to have sold housing units to unsuspecting buyers using forged approvals, despite being aware that the buildings were unauthorised and liable to be razed.
The Bombay High Court, in an order passed in 2024, directed the demolition of all 41 illegal buildings. A Special Leave Petition filed by residents before the Supreme Court was subsequently dismissed. The Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) completed the demolition by early 2025.
While the ED continues to investigate the financial trail and institutional complicity, hundreds of families who purchased homes in good faith now find themselves homeless and in distress.
