Ajit Pawar's Son Parth Under Investigation for Rs 300 Crore Pune Land Deal Irregularities

Parth Pawar, son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is under investigation for alleged irregularities in a Rs 300 crore land deal in Pune. The government has suspended an official and initiated a high-level probe amid political backlash.

A significant land transaction in Pune, valued at Rs 300 crore and involving a company linked to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth, has sparked controversy. Allegations of irregularities have led to a political uproar, prompting the government to initiate a high-level investigation. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis acknowledged the seriousness of the matter and requested information from relevant departments, while Ajit Pawar denied any involvement in the deal.

The government has suspended a sub-registrar and established a committee to examine the alleged irregularities. Additional Chief Secretary Revenue Vikas Kharge will lead the investigation as per Fadnavis's instructions. Parth Pawar has yet to address the accusations. The Inspector General of Registration issued an order suspending R B Taru, a sub-registrar in Pune, for alleged document registration irregularities that reportedly caused financial losses to the state.

Political Reactions and Investigations

Opposition parties criticised the ruling coalition, demanding a judicial inquiry. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against three individuals involved in the case. The FIR was lodged at Bawdhan police station against Digvijay Patil, Shital Tejwani, and Ravindra Taru for allegedly causing a Rs 6 crore loss to the government by executing a sale deed for government land.

The land in question, located in Pune's Mundhwa area, was sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP for Rs 300 crore. Parth Pawar is reportedly a partner in this firm. The sale was facilitated by Shital Tejwani, who held power of attorney for the property. As government land, it should not have been sold to a private entity.

Details of Alleged Irregularities

The Inspector General of Registration, Ravindra Binwade, stated that the probe would determine how government land was sold and whether exemptions were granted according to regulations. "If it is government land, the registration of its sale should not have taken place," Binwade noted. The revenue department indicated that while the land is listed under 'Mumbai Sarkar' on official documents, 272 individuals are named on the property card.

The sub-registrar allegedly registered documents without verifying necessary approvals from competent authorities. The document registration included only Rs 500 in stamp duty payment due to an exemption. However, additional levies amounting to Rs 6 crore were not waived, resulting in financial losses for the state.

Government Response and Opposition Criticism

Chief Minister Fadnavis remarked on the gravity of the situation and confirmed that orders for an investigation had been issued. Ajit Pawar maintained his distance from the controversy, asserting he had no connection with it. "I am not even remotely connected to this," he stated, supporting an investigation by Fadnavis.

State BJP minister Nitesh Rane emphasised Fadnavis's zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. Industries Minister Uday Samant defended Parth Pawar, asserting that his documents were legitimate and that his department was uninvolved with incentives or waivers granted to the firm.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar called for a judicial inquiry into what he described as an unusually swift approval process for transferring land for an IT park and data centre. Shiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray expressed scepticism about the probe's outcome, suggesting it might ultimately exonerate those involved.

Ajit Pawar reiterated his stance against wrongdoing and clarified he never instructed officers to favour his relatives. He explained that as children grow up, they pursue their own business ventures independently.

The ongoing investigation aims to uncover how such transactions occurred and whether proper procedures were followed in granting exemptions and waivers related to this controversial land deal.

With inputs from PTI