Maharashtra Govt Demands Rs 22.47 Crore from Parth Pawar’s Firm Over Mundhwa Land Deal

The Maharashtra Department of Registration and Stamps has issued a decisive order directing Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Parth Pawar—son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar—holds a significant partnership, to pay a full stamp duty of Rs 21 crore. This directive, dated December 10, 2025, also imposes an additional fine of Rs 1.47 crore, representing accrued interest over seven months since the transaction in May 2025. The department's investigation concluded that the initial exemption granted was invalid, leading to this substantial recovery demand for the controversial acquisition of a 44-acre plot in Pune's premium Mundhwa locality.

The land parcel was acquired for Rs 300 crore, significantly below its assessed market value of over Rs 1,800 crore, prompting widespread allegations of irregularities and undue benefits. At registration, the firm paid merely Rs 500 in stamp duty by claiming an exemption intended for data centre developments, supported by a letter of intent from the Pune District Industries Centre. However, authorities have now deemed this concession unwarranted, calculating the fine based on monthly interest accumulation and emphasising that delays in payment will incur further penalties.

Compounding the issues, the plot is classified under the Mahar Watan category, reserved for the Scheduled Caste community pursuant to the Bombay Inferior Village Watans Abolition Act, 1958. Transfer of such land requires explicit government approval, which was absent in this case, rendering the entire sale deed legally void ab initio. The government had assumed control of the land in 1955 and leased it to the Botanical Survey of India until 2038, further underscoring the impropriety of the private transaction involving power of attorney holder Sheetal Tejwani.

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Amadea Enterprises LLP has been afforded a 60-day window to settle the outstanding amount. Officials have indicated that the firm may either comply directly or pursue an appeal before the Chief Controlling Revenue Authority. Separate ongoing probes, including police investigations and a prior committee report, have highlighted procedural lapses, though Parth Pawar has not been directly implicated in criminal filings to date.

In response, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has maintained that his son lacked knowledge of the land's government ownership and that no involvement from his office occurred. He has characterised the matter as an instructive lesson for Parth, urging meticulous scrutiny in future dealings. The controversy has intensified political scrutiny, with opposition figures demanding reversion of the land to state control, criminal prosecutions, and even drawing national attention through criticisms labelling it as institutional favouritism. The Bombay High Court has recently questioned investigative approaches, probing potential safeguards extended to influential parties.

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