New Delhi, Jan. 14 -- Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar sought to quell speculation after officers from the Pune Crime Branch visited the offices of political strategist Naresh Arora and his consultancy firm, DesignBoxed on Wednesday

In a formal statement, Pawar said the police presence was part of a routine information-gathering process and not an enforcement action. He said that the firm extended full cooperation to the authorities and that officials were granted access to all information sought during the visit.

Crime Branch officials visited the Pune office of a political campaign management company working for Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Tuesday, following in...