Pune Land Deal Under Scrutiny, Action Taken As Per Law: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday stated that the Pune land deal case involving a company linked to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son, Parth Pawar, is being handled strictly according to the law, and "there is no question of saving anybody," reported PTI.

"FIRs have been filed against signatories and vendors, and those found guilty in the probe will be booked. Action is being taken as per the law," Fadnavis told reporters in Gadchiroli.

The controversy centres on the alleged illegal sale of 40 acres of government land in Pune’s Mundhwa area, reportedly valued at around Rs 1,800 crore. Opposition leaders claimed the property was purchased by a company linked to Parth Pawar for Rs 300 crore, allegedly availing a stamp duty waiver.

On Friday evening, Ajit Pawar announced the deal’s cancellation, adding that Parth Pawar was unaware that the land was government-owned.

The 7 per cent stamp duty on the Rs 300 crore deal amounts to Rs 21 crore. Following the cancellation, Amadea Enterprises LLP, co-owned by Parth Pawar and his cousin Digvijay Patil, will now have to pay double stamp duty, totaling Rs 42 crore.

The Department of Registration and Stamps informed Digvijay Patil, a partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP, that the firm must pay the original 7 per cent stamp duty (comprising 5 per cent under the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1 per cent Local Body Tax and 1 per cent Metro cess), as the exemption claimed for setting up a data centre on the land was found ineligible, reported PTI.

Based on a complaint by the Inspector General of the Registrar’s office, the Pimpri Chinchwad police registered a first information report (FIR) against Digvijay Patil, Shital Tejwani—who represented 272 alleged landowners via power of attorney—and sub-registrar R B Taru for alleged misappropriation and cheating. Another FIR was filed on Friday against Patil, Tejwani, and tehsildar Suryakant Yewale, PTI reported.

State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule clarified that Parth Pawar was not named in the FIRs as he was not present at the sub-registrar’s office when the sale documents were executed. The government has suspended both Taru and Yewale.

Amadea Enterprises had entered into an agreement with Tejwani and executed the sale deed for the 40-acre Mundhwa land at Rs 300 crore. The deal came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the land was government property, and the 7 per cent stamp duty waiver was allegedly granted through collusion with sub-registrar Taru, PTI reported.

Joint Inspector General of Stamps and Registration, Rajendra Muthe, said the company had applied for a stamp duty exemption citing plans for a data centre. "However, during the scrutiny, it was revealed that an exemption cannot be given to such a proposal and hence, the firm will have to pay an earlier stamp duty that is 7 per cent and an additional 7 per cent to execute the cancellation deed," he added.

(With inputs from PTI)