Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday observed that there may have been material before the magistrate while extending the remand of former Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) commissioner Anil Kumar Khanderao Pawar, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Pawar Challenges ECIR and Remand Extension
Pawar, who was arrested on August 13, had sought quashing of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR). His counsel also challenged the order extending his remand, arguing it reflected “non-application of mind” and was passed in a “routine manner.”
HC Grants Liberty to Amend Plea
A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad granted Pawar liberty to amend his plea to challenge the second remand order and allowed the ED one week to file a reply. The matter will be heard on October 10.
Pawar Questions Legality of Arrest
Pawar, currently in judicial custody, has chosen not to seek bail. Instead, his legal team is questioning the legality of his arrest, calling it “unsustainable in law.”
Contention Over Unauthorized Constructions
His advocate argued that the ED’s case relates to 41 unauthorized constructions between 2008 and 2021, while Pawar took charge only in January 2022. He said the agency’s claim that Pawar operated a bribery nexus collecting Rs 20–25 per sq. ft. was unrelated to the scheduled offences, rendering the arrest arbitrary.
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ED Alleges Pawar’s Role in Money Laundering Racket
The ED, however, defended its action, stating Pawar was central to a laundering racket worth hundreds of crores, supported by builder testimonies, WhatsApp chats, and cash trail analysis. It alleged senior civic officials, including Pawar, took hefty bribes to overlook rampant illegal constructions across nearly 60 acres.
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