The Bombay high court on Friday directed the government to inquire and investigate into the representation made by petitioner and member of NGO, Krantikari Jai Hind Sena, alleging that Ajit Pawar, Tatkare and around 81 officers of the then irrigation department gained crores of rupees through the irrigation scam.

A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M.S. Sonak was hearing a PIL filed by one Sudesh Salgaonkar, member of Krantikari Jai Hind Sena. The petition alleged that after the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) incurred huge losses and the board of the bank was dissolved in 2011, a preliminary enquiry by cooperation department registrar, A.K. Chavan, concluded that due to actions of and non-performance by the director of MSCB, the bank had suffered huge losses.

Mr Salgaonkar said ex-minister Ajit Pawar was also a director.