Activist had alerted authorities about stamp duty waiver in land deal linked to Parth Pawar

Pune, Nov 7 (PTI) A Pune-based social activist had alerted the Joint District Registrar that stamp duty on the Rs 300 crore Mundhwa land deal was illegally waived, seeking action just 15 days after the sale deed was executed by Amadea Enterprises LLP partner Digvijay Patil.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar is also a partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP.

A Rs 300 crore deal for the sale of a 40 acre plot in upscale Mundhwa area to Amadea Enterprises LLP has triggered a political slugfest since the land belongs to the government and the requisite stamp duty was waived. Moreover, Opposition parties alleged the land in question is worth Rs 1800 crore.

On May 20, the sale deed of the land in Mundhwa took place, while Dinkar Kotkar, the 60-year-old found-president of Chhava Kamgar Union, had written to the IGR office on June 5 stating that stamp duty of Rs 21 crore was waived. He had pointed out that the exemption was given in a wrongful manner.

In the First Information Report (FIR), Joint District Registrar Santosh Hingane, who is the complainant in the case, confirmed the receipt of a letter from Kotkar.

He also stated that during the scrutiny of the complaint application, it was revealed that sale deed for the Mundhwa land had been executed by altering official records.

Speaking to PTI, Kotkar said after failing to receive any response to his first complaint application dated June 5, he wrote a reminder complaint application on June 23, seeking immediate action against those involved and also sought that losses to the exchequer be recovered with interest.

Kotkar said he did not receive any response from the concerned department to this reminder either.

However, he alleged, a person had approached him asking him to stay away from the matter and also warning of dire consequences.

Joint IGR Rajendra Muthe, who is heading a committee to investigate the irregularities in the land deal and report within seven days to the state government, said the JDR had initiated a probe following the receipt of the complaint.

On Friday evening, Ajit Pawar informed about the cancellation of the deal and said that Parth was unaware that the land belonged to the government. PTI SPK BNM