In A significant development that will certainly have political repercussions, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday attached assets worth Rs 65 crore of a sugar mill allegedly linked to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s family members.

Pawar’s party colleague and former home minister, Anil Deshmukh and his personal staff, are already being investigated by the ED. Pawar’s case is related to the money laundering allegations of purchasing Jarandeshwar Cooperative Sugar Mill at a throwaway price, allegedly using finance from a company controlled by his wife. The mill was auctioned by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) which had Pawar on its board of directors. Later, the bidder gave the mill on lease to a company owned by Pawar’s another close relative, said sources, which had listed five other similar cases of ‘auction purchase at discounted price’.