Sharad Pawar: Will not visit the Enforcement Directorate office today

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday skipped his visit to the Ballard Estate situated Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in connection with a money laundering case.

"I will not visit the Enforcement Directorate office for now. Mumbai Commissioner of Police and Joint Commissioner met me and requested me not to go so that the law and order situation remains under control," Pawar told reporters outside his residence.

The Commissioner, along with the JCP, had visited the residence of the NCP leader earlier today.

In view of a potential clash with the NCP workers during Sharad Pawar's ED office visit, Mumbai Police had imposed Section 144 at Ballard Estate and made all necessary security arrangements.

NCP leader Nawab Malik, on the other hand, said that the ED had sent an e-mail stating that Sharad Pawar is not required to visit the office today.

"ED had sent an e-mail saying that Sharad Pawar is not required to visit the office today. It said that when required, the ED will intimate him. But, Sharad Pawar was firm to go to their office," Malik said.

NCP workers had earlier staged protests after Sharad Pawar along with party leader Ajit Pawar and others were named in an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in Rs 5,000 crore Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB) scam case.

( With inputs from ANI )