Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has cleared Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in the Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam case.

The EOW's closure report stated no criminality or wrongdoing by Sunetra Pawar, and that the bank did not suffer losses during loan sanctioning or the sale of Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill.

The timing of this report coincides with renewed allegations from the Opposition, claiming that probe agencies ease off on dissenting leaders once they switch to the ruling party at the Centre.

Sunetra Pawar is also BJP’s pick to contest LS polls in Baramati against Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar.

According to the EOW, Sunetra resigned from her directorship at Jai Agrotech in 2008, after which the firm allocated funds to Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill.

Subsequently, Guru Commodity acquired the sugar mill via auction for Rs 65.75 crore, leasing it to Jarandeshwar. The EOW mentioned that Jarandeshwar paid rent to Guru Commodity, whose director, Rajendra Ghadge, is related to Ajit Pawar.

In response to Sunetra Pawar's clearance, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey criticised the BJP, highlighting a pattern where Opposition leaders accused of wrongdoing get absolved upon joining the BJP. Conversely, dissenting leaders not aligned with the BJP face scrutiny and legal action, illustrating what he perceives as a biased and dictatorial approach.

Dubey emphasised instances where dissenters faced harassment and legal action, contrasting it with the preferential treatment given to those joining the ruling party. This dynamic, he argued, raises questions about democratic norms and governance.