**Bombay High Court Observes Material May Have Been Before Magistrate in Pawar’s Remand Extension**
*Mumbai:* The Bombay High Court on Wednesday noted 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, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
### Pawar Challenges ECIR and Remand Extension
Pawar, arrested on August 13, has sought the quashing of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR). His counsel also challenged the order extending his remand, arguing that it reflected a “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 court also allowed the ED one week to file its reply. The matter is scheduled to be heard on October 10.
### Pawar Questions Legality of Arrest
Currently in judicial custody, Pawar has not sought bail. Instead, his legal team is questioning the legality of his arrest, calling it “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, whereas Pawar took charge only in January 2022. The counsel further asserted that the agency’s claim regarding 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 cash trail analysis. The agency alleged that senior civic officials, including Pawar, accepted hefty bribes to overlook rampant illegal constructions spanning nearly 60 acres.
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https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/ex-vvmc-commissioner-anil-kumars-remand-likely-extended-on-material-bombay-hc