Fresh allegations were levelled against the NCP on Monday amid continued investigation into the Mundhwa land scam case. RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar has thrust the party office in Pune under the spotlight — accusing the Deccan Sugar Technology Association of illegally selling the premises. He said this was done despite the Charity Commissioner only giving permission to rent out the premises of this organisation.
“This land has been sold to the NCP in violation of all government provisions and despite the MahaRERA order. Shockingly, the BJP is also involved in this. Since they are in power, they are not taking action against Ajit Pawar. That is why the BJP is constantly saying to get Ajit Pawar into trouble,” Loksatta quoted him as saying.
‘Site and transaction are suspicious’
Kumbhar also cited the MahaRERA website to add that no agreement had been made regarding such a project. He added that a company named Kalpavriksh Plantation took this project to develop the Deccan Sugar Technology Association site in Shivajinagar.
“If any organization wants to give the site, permission from the Charity Commissioner is required. That permission was taken. However, that permission was given for a lease for sixty years. It was pretended that a tender would be called for it. However, this company has sold this site. The NCP office is on that site. That site and the transaction are suspicious,” he added.
What is the Mundhwa land scam case?
The sale of 40 acres of land in Pune’s upscale Mundhwa area for Rs 300 crore to Amadea Enterprises LLP — in which Parth Pawar is a majority partner — came under scrutiny after it emerged that the plot belongs to the government and it could not be sold. The firm was also allegedly exempted from paying Rs 21 crore in stamp duty.
A committee headed by the Joint Inspector General of Registration had indicted Digvijay Patil (Parth Pawar’s business partner and cousin), Sheetal Tejwani (who held the power of attorney on behalf of the land sellers), and sub-registrar Ravindra Taru. They were named in an FIR registered at a police station in Pune.
Officials have previously said that the Deputy Chief Minister’s son was not named in any document. But the Bombay High Court recently raised sharp questions regarding the police probe into the land deal — suggesting authorities might be shielding Pawar by failing to name him in the FIR. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had also noted last month that the deputy CM wielded so much influence in the government that officers would not dare to question him.