#JustIn: Pune's Mundhwa Land Sale Report Finds Procedural Lapses, Parth Pawar Not Involved

A three-member committee headed by Joint Inspector General of Registration Rajendra Muthe submitted its report into the controversial Rs 300-crore sale of 40 acres of government-owned land in Pune's upscale Mundhwa area to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar serves as a partner. The panel indicted three individuals named in the related police FIR but explicitly cleared Parth Pawar, as his name does not appear in any transaction documents.

The transaction, executed in May 2025, involved the unauthorized sale of Mahar Vatan land designated as state property, with the buyer granted an irregular exemption from Rs 21 crore in stamp duty. The deal was scrapped in November following revelations of ownership discrepancies, prompting a police complaint against suspended sub-registrar Ravindra Taru, Digvijay Patil—Parth Pawar's cousin and co-partner in the firm—and Sheetal Tejwani, who held power of attorney for the sellers. All three face charges of forgery and abuse of authority.

The Muthe committee's findings, forwarded to Inspector General of Registration Ravindra Binwade and subsequently to Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, emphasize procedural lapses in verifying land records, including the failure to submit a 7/12 extract less than one month old as mandated under Section 18-K of the Registration Act, 1908. It recommends mandatory vetting by the collector (stamps) for all duty waivers and extending restrictions on government property registrations to cases where ownership or interest is ambiguous.

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Pending reports from the revenue department and settlement commissioner inquiries will consolidate with the Muthe findings for review by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge, who leads a six-member panel constituted by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to comprehensively investigate the irregularities. The government has already suspended Taru and initiated recovery proceedings, underscoring its commitment to transparency in high-value real estate transactions.

In the interim, the Inspector General's office has issued a seven-day notice to Amadea Enterprises demanding Rs 42 crore in stamp duty upon deal cancellation, rejecting the firm's request for 15 days. This development follows intense political scrutiny, with opposition parties demanding a judicial probe into alleged undervaluation—the plot's market value estimated at Rs 1,600-1,800 crore—though Ajit Pawar has distanced himself, stating no financial exchange occurred and welcoming the investigation.

Also Read: Ajit Pawar Defies Calls to Quit, Says ‘My Conscience Will Decide’ Amid ₹300-Crore Land Deal Row