Mumbai: Former Vasai-Virar civic chief Anil Pawar had started compelling builders, developers and architects to pay bribes to get approvals as soon as he assumed the charge and the files were not cleared till the bribe was paid, YS Reddy, suspended town planning department deputy director, told the ED. Reddy also apparently revealed that Pawar had pressured him for not taking his name and revealing facts.
Alleged Extent of Corruption
The agency has alleged that Pawar collected bribes amounting to Rs 169.18 crore; Rs 16.59 crore for turning a blind eye to illegal constructions, which were built already, and Rs 152.59 crores for giving permission to new ones. The ED recently submitted a prosecution complaint against 18 accused, while pegging the amount of laundered funds to Rs 300.92 crore.
Systematic Bribe Collection
“Pawar asked to approach developers, architects, etc, and convince them to pay bribes in cash,” Reddy told the agency, adding his staffer Ankit Mishra used to talk to builders, developers and maintained bribe records.
Movement and Record of Illicit Funds
He further revealed that Pawar would collect all the cash on Friday and go to Satara, Nashik and Pune, said the ED. Reddy even confirmed the list of commencement certificates illegally granted by Pawar in 457 cases of urban zone and 129 in green zone, it added.
Tainted Funds Converted into Family Wealth
The ED said that the former civic chief used tainted funds for warehousing ventures and land projects. He made the 'investments' through his wife Bharti, daughters Shrutika and Revati, and relatives like Amol Patil (Bharti’s cousin) and Janardan Pawar (his nephew).
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Conversion of Bribes into Legal Equity
“The Antonov Warehousing Parks project, Bhiwandi, and M/s Dhwaja Warehouses Pvt Ltd became the primary vehicles by Pawar for converting bribes into recorded equity,” the ED said.
He converted bribes into legally-titled family wealth while distancing the illicit source, thereby enjoying the amounts as untainted property, asserted the agency.
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