Tainted or not? FIR doesn't indict Ajit Pawar in irrigation scam but says he chaired controversial meeting

In 2012, allegations of large-scale corruption in irrigation projects had led to the resignation of NCP leader Ajit Pawar from his post as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.  Three years after the allegations first made national headlines, the state’s anti-corruption bureau has filed an FIR in the case. While it does not name any politician as an accused, it does mention that a controversial dam project was approved at a meeting presided over by Ajit Pawar in 2009, reports The Times of India .

While the NCP may be relieved with the fact that Pawar is not named as an accused, it may be too early for the party to start celebrating, as he has not yet been exonerated by the authorities.

The TOI report quotes a senior BJP leader as saying that an open inquiry ordered against the NCP strongman is now in its final stages. The inquiry is also looking into the role of former water resources minister Sunil Tatkare.

The FIR filed by the ACB names six employees of the water resources department, and five employees of a private contractor firm, as accused in a case of alleged irregularities involving a dam project on the Balganga river in Raigad district, as reported by Business Standard . They have been charged with sections relating to cheating and forgery, as also the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In December 2014, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had accepted the ACB’s proposal for an open inquiry against Ajit Pawar, who is the nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, as reported by DNA . He was earlier reported as saying that there was no need for discretion in initiating a probe in corruption cases and that there was no reason to put a stop to it if there was prima facie evidence.

Earlier, the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra had agreed to a white paper on the controversy after a state economic survey pointed out that irrigation potential had grown merely by 0.1% in a decade. The white paper had given a clean chit to Ajit Pawar and had justified the expenses incurred on irrigation projects, as reported by the Economic Times .