New Delhi – The Supreme Court is set to hear a critical plea from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging a recent order by the Bombay High Court. The High Court had previously declared the arrest of Anil Pawar, a former chief of the Vasai-Virar civic body, as unlawful in connection with a money laundering investigation. The ED had taken Mr. Pawar into custody on August 13.
The central allegation by the ED is that widespread illegal constructions and the development of 41 buildings occurred between 2008 and 2010. These activities were reportedly carried out by builders and developers in collusion with officials from the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra.
The ED’s challenge to the Bombay High Court’s October 15 ruling was presented before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. The court has requested a response from Anil Pawar regarding the ED’s plea and has scheduled further hearings for the matter in three weeks.
Mr. Pawar had approached the High Court himself, contesting his arrest and asserting that it was an arbitrary and unlawful exercise of power by the arresting authority. The ED, however, claims that its investigation, conducted between February 2025 and August 13, 2025, indicated Pawar’s involvement in the alleged crime and that he had received substantial illegal gratifications.
Pawar has refuted all allegations. He is a 2014-batch IAS officer who served as the commissioner for the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation from January 13, 2022, until July 25, 2025.
The Bombay High Court, in its ruling, stated, “Upon examining the presented materials in light of the aforementioned legal precedent, we find no prima-facie case made out against the petitioner for his arrest on August 13, 2025.” The court further noted that while the ED pointed to 41 instances of illegal constructions, it could not establish Pawar’s direct involvement in those specific illegalities at the time, thus deeming his arrest illegal. The High Court also nullified previous remand orders issued by a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and mandated Pawar’s release.
This case stems from allegations of illegal construction of both residential and commercial properties on government and private land within the Vasai-Virar city municipal corporation’s jurisdiction.