Maharashtra: Crime Branch team reaches the office of Ajit Pawar’s close aide; Deputy CM says the raid is just a rumour

A Crime Branch team visited the Pune office of Naresh Arora, the political strategist of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and his company ‘Design Box’. However, Ajit Pawar himself tried to quell reports describing the visit as a raid. He clarified in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the police team had only come to gather information. He stated that full cooperation was extended to the officials during the inquiry and that no irregularities or objectionable items were found.

Appeal to disregard misleading news
Ajit Pawar said that his party respects the law and stands firmly with ‘Design Box’ in this matter. He also appealed to people to disregard rumors and misleading news. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar also issued a statement.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar clarified that the Crime Branch team did not go with the intention of conducting a major operation or raid. He said, “Based on the preliminary information we received, only an inquiry and verification of documents were conducted. No seizures were made, nor was anyone taken into custody. The police clarified that this was a routine procedure and it is wrong to portray it as a ‘major operation’.”

Ajit Pawar’s clarification on raid reports
In fact, reports of a raid and major seizures were circulating on social media and some media platforms. The police administration has clarified that no FIR has been registered in this case so far, nor has any criminal action been taken. This was merely a preliminary inquiry which has now been completed.

How did the matter begin?
The entire matter began with news circulating on social media and confidential information received by the police. The Pune Police Crime Branch had received some preliminary information about the Pune office of Naresh Arora’s organization, ‘Design Box’. Based on this information, a police team went there for document verification and questioning.

As soon as the police arrived at the office, news spread on social media and some local media channels that “a major raid has taken place on a close associate of Ajit Pawar” and “a large amount of cash or documents have been seized.” It is worth noting that Naresh Arora is Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s strategist, so the incident quickly took on a political dimension.

Pune Police Commissioner’s Statement
To dispel the confusion surrounding this matter, two major clarifications were issued, primarily from the police. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar issued an official statement and spoke to the media. He clearly stated that it was not a “raid,” but a routine inquiry. He dismissed all rumors, confirming that no seizures had been made.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar himself provided a detailed explanation through his official social media handle, X. He described it as a normal legal process and clarified that his party and government stand firmly with Naresh Arora.