**Mumbai: Bombay High Court Questions Basis for Remand Extension of Former VVCMC Commissioner Anil Kumar Khanderao Pawar**
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday observed that there may have been material before the magistrate while extending the remand of former Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) commissioner Anil Kumar Khanderao Pawar. Pawar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
### Pawar Challenges ECIR and Remand Extension
Anil Pawar, who was arrested on August 13, had sought the quashing of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR). His counsel also challenged the order extending his remand, arguing that it reflected “non-application of mind” and was passed in a “routine manner.”
### HC Grants Liberty to Amend Plea
A bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad granted Pawar the liberty to amend his plea to challenge the second remand order. The bench also allowed the ED one week to file a reply. The matter is scheduled for hearing on October 10.
### Pawar Questions Legality of Arrest
Pawar, who is currently in judicial custody, has chosen not to seek bail. Instead, his legal team is questioning the legality of his arrest, describing it as “unsustainable in law.”
### Contention Over Unauthorized Constructions
Pawar’s advocate argued that the ED’s case pertains to 41 unauthorized constructions between 2008 and 2021, while Pawar took charge only in January 2022. The counsel contended that the agency’s claim of Pawar operating a bribery nexus collecting Rs 20–25 per sq. ft. was unrelated to the scheduled offences, rendering the arrest arbitrary.
### ED Alleges Pawar’s Role in Money Laundering Racket
The ED, however, defended its action by stating that Pawar was central to a laundering racket worth hundreds of crores. This claim is supported by builder testimonies, WhatsApp chats, and analysis of cash trails. The agency alleged that senior civic officials, including Pawar, accepted hefty bribes to overlook rampant illegal constructions spread over nearly 60 acres.
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**Also Watch:** ED Alleges Pawar’s Role in Money Laundering Racket
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