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Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Illegal bldgs in Vasai: ED questions ex-VVCMC chief
MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday questioned the former Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) commissioner, Anil Pawar, for over nine hours in connection with its money laundering investigation into the construction of 41 illegal buildings in Vasai East, which were demolished as per court orders in February this year. The agency will continue questioning the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer on Tuesday as well, said ED sources. All the 41 illegal buildings were demolished in February this year, leaving around 2,500 families homeless According to the sources, Pawar was questioned from around 11.45am to 9 pm, during which time his statement was recorded under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Investigators asked Pawar a range of questions about alleged irregularities in construction of the 41 illegal buildings on a 60-acre plot, of which 30 acres was reserved for a sewage treatment plant and a dumping ground as per the approved development plan. They also asked him about the lack of civic action against the illegal structures despite complaints. Pawar, however, denied any involvement in the case. The ED's probe is still at a 'preliminary stage', officers familiar with the investigation said. 'Pawar was questioned for the first time today, on a variety of issues. Details furnished by him will be scrutinised and verified for further action,' an officer told HT. The ED's investigation until now has revealed that an organised cartel comprising certain VVCMC officers, architects, chartered accountants and intermediaries was responsible for large-scale illegal construction within VVCMC limits after 2009. The agency had, on Friday, accused Pawar of playing 'a crucial role' in the cartel, based on seizures during searches conducted at 12 locations in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik, including the homes of Pawar and his relatives and associates, on July 29. The searches were based on revelations by several suspects and witnesses questioned earlier by the agency and chats found on their mobile phones. Documents seized during the July 29 searches indicated Pawar had created a number of shell entities in the name of his family members, relatives and associates to launder collected bribe amounts, said ED sources. 'The formation of shell entities coincided with his posting as VVCMC commissioner. The entities are primarily engaged in construction and redevelopment of residential towers and warehouses,' an ED officer said. A number of digital devices and incriminating documents including cheque deposit slips recovered during the searches are still being scrutinised, said sources. The ED had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report in the matter based on multiple cases registered by the Mira-Bhayandar police against builders and their henchmen. Despite knowing that the buildings were unauthorised and would eventually be demolished, the builders sold apartments to poor, gullible customers—mostly migrant workers and shopkeepers—by fabricating a range of approval documents, said the ED. The Bombay high court, on July 8, 2024, ordered the demolition of the 41 buildings. A special leave petition in the Supreme Court filed by families residing there was dismissed and all the buildings were demolished on February 20 this year, leaving around 2,500 families homeless.
Hindustan Times
03-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
Former VVCMC town planning official booked for amassing ₹31.48 crore in disproportionate assets
MUMBAI: The Achole police in Nalasopara have registered an FIR against YS Reddy, the suspended deputy director of Town Planning at the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), who allegedly amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The case follows a report from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which recovered cash and jewellery worth ₹31.48 crore from his properties in Hyderabad and Virar during searches in June. Former VVCMC town planning official booked for amassing ₹ 31.48 crore in disproportionate assets Reddy also faced an inquiry regarding his alleged connection with the construction of 41 illegal buildings in Vasai East, which were demolished earlier this year as per orders of the Bombay high court. The FIR, filed on Friday, is based on a complaint by PSI Sachin Suryakant More of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Thane. The ACB acted upon a letter from the ED detailing findings from its investigation into large-scale illegal constructions during Reddy's tenure at VVCMC, beginning in 2010. According to the ED, searches were conducted after a money laundering case was registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The agency said raids at Reddy's bungalow in Hafizpet, Hyderabad, and a house in Yeshwant Nagar, Virar, on June 3 led to the seizure of gold ornaments worth ₹23.25 crore and ₹8.48 crore in cash. Reddy was reportedly unable to account for the source of these assets. The ED concluded that Reddy had acquired these assets through corrupt practices and bribery while serving in the VVCMC. The School police have booked him under sections 13(1)(e) (criminal misconduct by a public servant) and 13(2) (punishment for criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. 'A case has been registered and further investigation is underway,' an officer from Achole police station confirmed. The development comes amid a wider probe into alleged corruption and unauthorised construction approvals within VVCMC. Earlier this week, the ED's Mumbai unit conducted searches at 12 locations in Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik linked to former VVCMC commissioner Anilkumar Pawar, his relatives, and associates. One of the raids reportedly yielded ₹1.33 crore in cash. According to ED sources, Pawar allegedly led a cartel of civic officials, architects, chartered accountants, and intermediaries that facilitated illegal constructions. The investigation has revealed that during his tenure as commissioner, a 'commission' system was established: ₹20–25 per square foot for Pawar and ₹10 per square foot for Reddy in exchange for approving building plans. Reddy and several junior engineers are believed to be part of this nexus.
Hindustan Times
31-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Ex-Vasai-Virar chief formed the cartel behind illegal constructions in Vasai: ED sources
MUMBAI: Enforcement Directorate (ED) sources on Wednesday claimed that former Vasai-Virar city municipal corporation (VVCMC) commissioner Anil Pawar, an IAS officer, was responsible for organising an alleged 'cartel' of civic officers, architects, chartered accountants and intermediaries which set in motion the large-scale illegal constructions in the region. The 41 illegal buildings in Vasai East were demolished as per court orders in February. The ED sources' claims came a day after its Mumbai unit conducted searches at 12 locations in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik, at the homes of Pawar and his relatives and associates, with one search allegedly yielding ₹1.33 crore in cash. The ED action was part of its investigation into the construction of 41 illegal buildings in Vasai East, which were demolished as per court orders in February. The cartel allegedly comprised Pawar, Y S Reddy, a former deputy director in the town-planning department and several junior engineers among others. The investigation revealed allegedly that after Pawar became VVCMC commissioner, the 'commission' or bribe amount paid by those seeking approval of building plans was fixed at ₹20-25 per square feet for Pawar, and ₹10 per square feet for Reddy, ED sources said. The per-square-foot bribe rate was reported by HT on Wednesday. The Tuesday searches were based on revelations by several suspects and witnesses earlier questioned by the ED and chats found in their mobile phones. The ED sources said these were currently being verified. Apart from the cash found in the search operations, a large number of incriminating documents and devices such as property documents and cheque deposit slips, were recovered, which allegedly revealed that Pawar had created a number of entities in the name of his family members, relatives and benami-daars to launder the bribe amounts, the ED sources said. 'The formation of such shell entities coincided with his posting as VVCMC commissioner,' said an ED source. 'A huge amount of cash related to the construction business, whether redevelopment of residential towers, construction of warehouses or other projects, went into these shell entities.' The digital devices seized during the search operations also allegedly revealed Pawar's close involvement in creating the suspected cartel. 'This threw light on the extent of the corruption and black money flowing into the VVCMC for construction approvals,' the ED source said. The ED's earlier search operations had led to a cash seizure of around ₹8.94 crore, diamond jewellery and bullion worth ₹23.25 crore and bank balances/ shares/ mutual funds/ fixed deposits worth ₹13.86 crore. The Case The 41 illegal buildings were built on a 60-acre plot in Vasai East, 30 acres of which was reserved for civic projects. The Mira-Bhayandar police registered multiple cases against builders and local henchmen in connection with their construction, based on which the ED registered an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) and commenced its probe. Despite knowing that the buildings were unauthorised and would eventually be demolished, the builders sold the apartments to poor, gullible customers—mostly migrant workers and shopkeepers—by fabricating a range of approval documents, said the ED. The Bombay high court, on July 8, 2024, ordered the demolition of the 41 buildings. A special leave petition in the Supreme Court filed by families living in them was dismissed and all the buildings were demolished on February 20 this year, leaving around 2,500 families homeless. Earlier, on May 14-15, the ED conducted searches at 13 locations in Vasai-Virar and Hyderabad in Telangana. The Hyderabad residence of former deputy director Reddy and the Nalasopara residence of former VVCMC corporator S Gupta were scoured thoroughly. The searches led to the seizure of ₹8.68 in cash and diamond jewellery and bullion worth ₹23.25 crore. Reddy was subsequently suspended by the VVCMC and ordered to face a departmental inquiry.
India Today
31-07-2025
- India Today
Vasai-Virar construction scam: ED raids 12 sites, unearths Rs 1.33 crore in cash
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered a deep-rooted nexus of corruption, illegal construction, and money laundering within the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), leading to a fresh round of raids that yielded cash seizures and incriminating latest development in the case came on Tuesday, when the Mumbai Zonal Office-II of the ED carried out search operations at 12 locations across Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Satana under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), probe is centred on former VVCMC Commissioner Anil Pawar, IAS, who allegedly led and orchestrated a cartel of civic officials, builders, and professionals engaged in rampant illegal construction and large-scale corruption. During Tuesday's raids, the ED seized Rs 1.33 crore in cash and recovered a significant volume of incriminating documents, including property papers in the names of relatives and benamidars, cash and cheque deposit slips, and digital devices containing evidence of financial ED launched its investigation following multiple FIRs filed by the Mira Bhayandar Police Commissionerate against a network of builders, local operatives, and civic cases pertain to the unauthorised construction of 41 residential and commercial buildings on land earmarked for a sewage treatment plant and a dumping ground under the approved Vasai Virar development plan dating back to found that developers not only erected illegal structures on reserved land but also duped unsuspecting homebuyers by fabricating approval documents and selling units in these buildings, despite knowing they were a landmark ruling, the Bombay High Court ordered the demolition of all 41 illegal structures on July 8, 2024. A subsequent appeal filed before the Supreme Court by affected families was dismissed, and the Vasai-Virar civic body completed the demolition process by February 20, to ED findings, the illegal construction was enabled by a well-organised cartel involving the VVCMC Commissioner, Deputy Director of Town Planning YS Reddy, junior engineers, architects, chartered accountants, and liaison Anil Pawar's tenure, the ED alleges a fixed commission rate of Rs 20-25 per square foot for the commissioner and Rs 10 per square foot for the deputy town planner on all scrutiny revealed that Pawar created multiple shell entities in the names of his family members and close associates to launder the bribe money he collected during his term. These entities operated primarily in high-cash sectors such as real estate redevelopment and warehouse construction, facilitating the absorption and routing of illegal evidence seized during the raids reportedly confirms Pawar's direct involvement in nurturing the cartel, working closely with civic officials and external agents to greenlight unauthorised projects in exchange for week's raids follow earlier ED operations in the case that resulted in the seizure of approximately Rs 8.94 crore in cash, diamond-studded jewellery and bullion worth Rs 23.25 crore, and the freezing of financial assets - including bank balances, shares, mutual funds, and fixed deposits - amounting to Rs 13.86 ED has stated that the investigation is ongoing.- EndsTune InMust Watch
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ED raids unearth multiple property documents linked to former Vasai-Virar civic chief
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized multiple property-related documents linked to the former civic chief of Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVMC), Anil Pawar, during searches conducted at 12 premises linked to him on Tuesday and Wednesday. ED sources said Pawar had "created a number of entities in the name of his family members, relatives and benamidars to launder the bribe amount collected." The source said, "The formation of shell entities coincides with his posting as VVCMC commissioner (2022). These entities are primarily engaged in businesses where large amounts of cash are absorbed, such as construction and redevelopment of residential towers, construction of warehouses and others." You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Investigations by the ED showed an organised cartel of VVCMC officers, including the commissioner, deputy director of town planning, junior engineers, architects, CAs, and liaisoners, all operating in collusion. This cartel is responsible for large-scale illegal construction within VVCMC's jurisdiction. Commissioner VVCMC Anil Pawar, an IAS officer, is accused of orchestrating and sustaining this cartel. The ED investigation showed that after Pawar assumed the role of commissioner of VVCMC, the commission fee was set at Rs 20-25 per sq ft for the commissioner and Rs 10 per sq ft for his junior, Y S Reddy (Deputy Director Town Planning), based on the total project area from the builders. During searches at twelve premises associated with Pawar, the ED seized Rs 1.33 crore in unaccounted cash, along with numerous incriminating documents and devices. These included property documents in the names of relatives and benamidars, as well as cash and cheque deposit slips, among others. The ED sources said digital devices seized during the operations revealed Pawar's close involvement in creating a nexus of VVCMC officials and architects, CAs, and liaisoners. The money laundering case pertains to the illegal construction of 41 residential and commercial buildings on govt and private land under VVCMC's jurisdiction since 2009. This includes a 60-acre tract designated for sewage treatment and dumping facilities. Although Pawar was not the VVCMC chief at the time of construction, he failed to take action against the developments after assuming office, despite receiving complaints. The 41 buildings were recently demolished following a Bombay high court order. Flat buyers lost their money as well as their homes. In May, the ED raided 13 locations in Nalasopara, Vasai, Virar, and Hyderabad, seizing Rs 8.6 crore in unaccounted cash and Rs 23.2 crore worth of jewellery and bullion from the Hyderabad residence of Y S Reddy, deputy director of town planning, VVCMC. A few locals in Vasai burst crackers and distributed sweets late on Tuesday after the news of the ED raid spread across the city. They alleged that since Pawar was the administrator, he took unilateral decisions and corruption peaked during his tenure. "We also had written to the Maharashtra chief minister to conduct an investigation about his wealth and properties," said Sushant Patil of the Bhumiputra Sangathan, Vasai.
