The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended Anil Pawar, the former commissioner of the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation, along with Y.S. Reddy from the town planning department, and builders Sitaram Gupta and Arun Gupta. The arrests are linked to serious money laundering allegations. All the individuals will be presented before an ED court, where the ED intends to seek custody. The action is part of a large-scale investigation into corruption tied to 41 illegal buildings. During raids conducted over the past 15 days, the ED seized an estimated ₹1.33 crore in cash from locations associated with Pawar’s close associates. Additionally, property documents and digital evidence, potentially worth billions, were confiscated.
The investigation revealed that Anil Pawar had established a corruption cartel involving town planning officials, junior engineers, architects, chartered accountants, and liaisons.