7 months ago
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The Bombay High Court connected Wednesday (October 15, 2025) declared the apprehension of Anil Pawar, erstwhile Commissioner of the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arsenic illegal, ordering his contiguous release. The tribunal held that the bureau failed to nutrient the requisite worldly nether Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to warrant the arrest.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed that the ED’s lawsuit relied chiefly connected statements from developers and architects, WhatsApp chats, and fiscal trails, but lacked tangible evidence.
“We person formed an sentiment that arsenic connected August 13, 2025, the arresting serviceman has nary specified worldly arsenic required nether conception 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (reason to judge that idiosyncratic is blameworthy of offence). We mean that determination is nary tangible worldly and the full lawsuit of ED is based connected connection of definite architects and developers,” the tribunal observed.
The tribunal besides quashed the remand orders issued by the peculiar PMLA tribunal and rejected the ED’s plea for a enactment connected the release.
Mr. Pawar was arrested connected August 13, 2025, successful transportation with a wealth laundering probe linked to 41 unauthorised constructions crossed Vasai and Virar. These buildings, erected betwixt 2008 and 2021 connected onshore reserved for nationalist infrastructure, were ordered to beryllium demolished by the High Court successful July 2024. The demolition, completed by February 2025, displaced implicit 2,000 families. A Special Leave Petition filed by affected residents was dismissed by the Supreme Court.
The ED alleged that Mr. Pawar, who served arsenic VVCMC main from January 2022 to July 2025, played a cardinal relation successful facilitating amerciable constructions by accepting bribes of ₹150 per sq ft, with ₹50 allegedly routed straight to him. The bureau claimed that Mr. Pawar earned ₹169 crore successful proceeds of transgression and utilized ammunition companies to launder funds.
Assets worthy ₹71 crore person been attached, including ₹44 crore linked to Mr. Pawar. The chargesheet named his wife, Bharti Pawar, arsenic a cardinal accomplice, on with entities specified arsenic Shrutika Enterprises, Janardan Agro Services, Antonov Warehousing Parks Pvt Ltd, and Dhwaja Warehouses Pvt Ltd. Jewellery and currency worthy ₹32 crore were seized, and household members were identified arsenic beneficiaries of the laundered assets.
Mr. Pawar’s counsel, elder advocator Rajiv Shakdher, argued that the operation predated his tenure and that the apprehension was arbitrary.
Including Mr. Pawar, the ED has truthful acold arrested 4 individuals successful total, that includes municipality planner Y. Shiva Reddy, and builders Sitaram and Arun Gupta, who stay successful judicial custody.
