Court Dismisses CBI Probe Request Against Sharad Pawar & Kin

The Bombay High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation seeking a CBI investigation against NCP leader Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya Sule, and nephew Ajit Pawar for alleged illegal permissions related to the Lavasa hill station project. The court noted the petitioner's failure to show a legal basis for the request.

The Bombay High Court rejected a plea for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) figurehead Sharad Pawar, his daughter, Member of Parliament Supriya Sule, and his nephew, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The petition, which centered on alleged illegal permissions for the Lavasa hill station project in Pune, was dismissed on Monday.

A judicial bench, comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad, ruled against the petitioner, lawyer Nanasaheb Jadhav. They emphasized Jadhav's inability to substantiate any legal provision empowering civil courts to direct police to file a First Information Report (FIR).

Despite previous attempts, including a 2022 petition concerning special permissions for Lavasa, the high court has refused to intercede. The recent plea, part of a wider litigation effort, saw a retaliatory application from Sharad Pawar in March, denouncing the repetitive allegations by Jadhav.