Mumbai: Income Tax department has seized the asset worth Rs. 1000 crore which allegedly lined to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his family members.

Five properties including Nirmal tower at Mumbai’s prestigious Nariman point, have been seized. The income tax department has raided the sugar factories and resorts owned by family members of Ajit Pawar.

Income tax department officials assessed that Ajit Pawar and his family members are beneficiaries of the above Benami properties. If properties are brought illegally anti-Benami act will be invoked against the deputy CM of Maharashtra, sources in the IT department said. Last month, tax searches were conducted at the houses and farms owned by Mr Pawar's sisters.

Responding to the searches and raids, Mr Pawar had insisted that "all the entities" linked to him have regularly paid taxes, NDTV reported.

Mr. Pawar hit out at tax department stated that "I am upset because (premises of) my sisters, who got married 35 to 40 years ago, have been raided. If they were raided as Ajit Pawar's relatives, then people must think about it...the way the agencies are being (mis)used," he said.

Former Union Minister Sharad Pawar had also hit out at the BJP over the searches linked to his nephew, calling it a "misuse of power".

Senior Pawar said that he will not afraid of such guests. You can recall how I was sent a notice by the Enforcement Directorate before the state elections (in 2019)... even though I had never taken a loan from the bank and I had nothing to do with it. They gave me notice and Maharashtra taught them a lesson."