Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday firmly distanced himself from a controversial land deal in Pune involving a company linked to his son, Parth Pawar, stating he has “no connection” to the matter. His statement came as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a high-level inquiry into the alleged irregularities surrounding the Rs 300 crore transaction.
Ajit Pawar Breaks Silence
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Ajit Pawar asserted his non-involvement and commitment to transparency. “I am not even remotely connected to this. I will not tolerate any wrongdoing,” he declared, adding, “If anyone is doing wrong or against the set norms, I will never support them.” Pawar welcomed the probe ordered by the Chief Minister, stating that the truth must be uncovered and that rules should apply to everyone, including those close to him. He also made a personal observation, noting, “When your children grow up, they do their own business.”
Government Launches Investigation
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has described the issue as “prima facie serious” and appointed Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge to lead the investigation. The government has also taken immediate action by suspending a tehsildar and a sub-registrar implicated in the case. The probe was initiated after the opposition raised alarms, claiming that government land worth an estimated Rs 1,800 crore was sold for a fraction of its value at just Rs 300 crore.
The Pune Land Deal Controversy
The controversy centers on the sale of 40 acres of government-owned ‘Mahar watan’ land in Pune’s upscale Mundhwa area. This land was sold to a private firm, Amadea Enterprises LLP, in which Parth Pawar is a partner along with Digvijay Patil. Officials have pointed out that as government property, this land cannot legally be sold to a private entity. According to the property’s 7/12 extract, the land is officially registered under the name of ‘Mumbai Sarkar’ (Government of Maharashtra).
Registration Irregularities Flagged
Inspector General of Registration Ravindra Binwade confirmed that the high-level committee will investigate how the government land was sold and registered. An order from the IGR office highlighted “serious irregularities” in the process. The sub-registrar allegedly registered the property without the mandatory No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the competent authority.
Furthermore, the document was registered for a mere Rs 500 by availing a stamp duty exemption. Officials noted that even if some exemptions were applicable, a mandatory 2% levy comprising a 1% local body cess and a 1% metro cess was waived. This resulted in an estimated loss of around Rs 6 crore to the state exchequer. While Ajit Pawar has reiterated his distance from the deal, his son Parth Pawar has not yet issued a comment on the allegations.
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