Anti Corruption Bureau on Monday gave clean chit to Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Rs 70,000 Crore irrigation scam.

The Vidarbha Irrigation scam case has been officially closed two days after Ajit Pawar coalesced with the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra and sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. The file of inquiry against Ajit pawar in the irrigation scam has been shut.

What is the irrigation scam case?

The scam, pegged at around Rs 70,000 crore, relates to alleged corruption and irregularities in approval and execution of various irrigation projects in Maharashtra during the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) rule till 2014.

Ajit Pawar was among NCP ministers who were in-charge of the irrigation department at different times between 1999 and 2014. The case was probed by the ACB.

In November 2018, Union Minister Raosaheb Danve — who was then the state BJP president — had said that Pawar can be arrested “anytime” in the alleged scam case.