Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that the investigation into the Pune land deal case, which involves a company linked to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar, is being carried out strictly according to the law. He made it clear that “there is no question of saving anybody”.
“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 involves the alleged illegal sale of 40 acres of government land in Pune’s Mundhwa area. The land, valued at around Rs 1,800 crore, was reportedly purchased by a company linked to Parth Pawar for Rs 300 crore, with a stamp duty waiver.
On Friday evening, Ajit Pawar announced that the land deal had been cancelled, saying Parth did not know that the land belonged to the government.
Stamp duty and penalty details
The 7% stamp duty on the Rs 300 crore deal amounts to Rs 21 crore. After Ajit Pawar’s announcement, it was found that Amadea Enterprises LLP, the company involved, would now have to pay double stamp duty – Rs 42 crore – to cancel the deal.
The Department of Registration and Stamps has told Digvijay Amarsinh Patil, Parth Pawar’s cousin and a partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP, that the firm must pay the full 7% stamp duty (5% under the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1% Local Body Tax, and 1% Metro cess). The company had earlier claimed exemption, saying a data centre was planned on the land.
FIRs filed against multiple people
Based on a complaint from the Inspector General of Registrar’s office, Pimpri Chinchwad police registered an FIR against Digvijay Patil, Shital Tejwani – who represented 272 land ‘owners’ through a power of attorney – and sub-registrar RB Taru, for alleged misappropriation and cheating.
Another FIR was filed on Friday in Pune against Patil, Tejwani, and tehsildar Suryakant Yewale.
The FIR does not name Parth Pawar, as he was not present at the sub-registrar’s office when the sale documents were signed, said State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The government has suspended Taru and Yewale.
Details of the land deal
Amadea Enterprises, co-owned by Parth Pawar and his cousin Digvijay Patil, had signed an agreement with Tejwani – representing 272 alleged landowners – and executed a sale deed for the 40-acre land in Mundhwa for Rs 300 crore.
The deal came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the land actually belonged to the government. It was also alleged that the firm received a 7% stamp duty waiver in collusion with sub-registrar Taru, who registered the deal.
Joint Inspector General of Stamps and Registration, Rajendra Muthe, said that Amadea Enterprises had sought stamp duty exemption when the deal was registered in May this year, claiming that a data centre would be set up there. “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 said.
