Mumbai ( Journalist File ) :Ajit Pawar, who took office as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister earlier this week, has been given a clean chit by the Income Tax (IT) department in a disproportionate assets case. The IT department returned over ₹1000 crore worth of seized benami properties to him and his family, which had been confiscated in 2021.

The benami transactions were linked to properties in places such as a sugar industry in Satara, a flat in Delhi, and a resort in Goa. However, the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Appellate Tribunal concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove the ownership of these properties by Ajit Pawar and his family, leading to the release of the seized assets.

The controversy surrounding these assets coincided with Pawar's recent defection from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by his uncle Sharad Pawar, to join the BJP-Shiv Sena-led Maha Yuti coalition. His move has led to accusations that the alliance was formed to escape the repercussions of the IT raids. Despite the allegations, the Tribunal’s ruling cleared Ajit Pawar of any wrongdoing.

New Delhi (Journalist File ) : A threatening message demanding ₹50 lakh was sent to Defence Ministry’s Assistant Minister, Sanjay Seth, on Saturday, causing a stir. The unknown individuals warned that severe consequences would follow if the amount was not paid within three days. Seth confirmed receiving the threatening message on his mobile phone and stated that Delhi Police have initiated an investigation into the matter. The threat was traced to Ranchi’s Kanke area.

In a separate incident, a bomb threat targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi was received on Saturday by the Mumbai Traffic Police helpline. The message claimed that two ISI terrorists were planning to attack the Prime Minister with bombs. Police traced the message to Ajmer in Rajasthan, and investigations are underway.