Mumbai Court Clears Rohit Pawar in MSCB Sugar Mills Scam

A Special PMLA Court in Mumbai has acquitted NCP MLA Rohit Pawar alongside 16 others in a high-profile money laundering case related to the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) sugar mills scam. This decision effectively draws proceedings to a close for a case that has captured attention since its inception.

The case originated from an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2019, following an FIR by the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in accordance with directions from the Bombay High Court. Allegations centered around loans extended by MSCB to cooperative sugar factories between 2005 and 2010, which were allegedly sold at undervalued prices, inflicting significant financial losses estimated between Rs 5,000 crore and Rs 25,000 crore.

The ED's chargesheets, submitted between 2023 and 2025, implicated Rohit Pawar, several agro and sugar companies, and firms associated with relatives of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. However, the legal landscape shifted dramatically after the predicate offence was nullified. On February 27, 2026, a Mumbai court accepted EOW's closure reports from 2020 and 2024, effectively ceasing investigations and granting relief to all accused, including Ajit Pawar and entities linked to his family.

Subsequent to this development, Rohit Pawar and the co-accused sought a discharge, arguing that without an ongoing predicate offence, PMLA proceedings could not persist. Despite opposition from ED, the special court sided with the defence, leading to the discharge of all 17 accused. A formal order from the court is pending. This decision marks the conclusion of the ED's involvement in the MSCB case.