ED Files Chargesheet in Illegal Building Case Against Ex-VVCMC Chief and Others

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted a chargesheet against former Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) chief Anil Pawar (IAS), deputy director of town planning Y S Reddy, and 16 others in a money laundering case tied to the construction of illegal buildings. During the investigation, the ED attached properties worth approximately Rs 71 crore belonging to the accused and the builders who had constructed 41 illegal buildings in Vasai Virar, which were ordered for demolition by the Bombay High Court.

In August, the ED arrested Pawar and Reddy, along with two others, who remain in jail custody. The ED recorded statements from several builders and architects who admitted to paying bribes to Pawar, Reddy, and other VVCMC members in exchange for clearing their building construction files. One of the builders stated, 'I had paid Rs 15 crore to Reddy and Pawar for clearing my building proposal files.'

Earlier, the ED seized Rs 8.6 crore in unaccounted cash and Rs 23.2 crore worth of jewellery during a search of Reddy's house prior to the arrests. Additionally, around Rs 1.3 crore in unaccounted cash belonging to Pawar was found at his relative's premises, along with several property documents. The agency also collected evidence that a relative of Pawar in Dadar had received a bribe of Rs 3.4 crore in cash, believed to have been transported via an angadia.

The money laundering case is based on multiple FIRs linked to the unauthorized construction of 41 residential and commercial buildings on government and private land under the Vasai-Virar civic body. The buildings were razed following a recent court order. The chargesheet includes detailed evidence and statements from various stakeholders, highlighting the extent of the corruption and financial irregularities involved in the case.