Court rejects anticipatory bail plea of suspended tehsildar in Pune land deal case

Pune, Dec 22 (PTI) A Pune court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of suspended tehsildar Suryakant Yeole, an accused in the controversial Mundhwa land deal involving a firm linked to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth.

Yeole is also an accused in another matter involving a state agriculture department land parcel in the Bopodi area and both cases have been merged.

Additional Sessions Judge P Y Ladekar rejected the suspended tehsildar's plea after prosecution opposed it, stating that despite knowing that the 40-acre parcel in Mundhwa belonged to the state government, Yeole issued a notice to the Botanical Survey of India (the lessee), directing them to vacate the land on ground it has been purchased by a private firm, Amadea Enterprises LLP.

Parth Pawar is a majority partner in Amadea Enterprises, but has not been named in the FIR.

The prosecution also informed the court that in the Bopodi case, Yeole, despite knowing the land in question belongs to the agriculture department, passed an order which showed some individuals as owners.

A case was registered at the Khadak police station, clubbing the Bopodi and the Rs 300-crore Mundhwa land cases as suspended tehsildar Yeole was involved in both matters.

The sale of 40 acres of land in the upscale Mundhwa area for Rs 300 crore to Amadea Enterprises came under scrutiny last month after it emerged the plot belongs to the government and could not be sold. The firm was also allegedly exempted from paying Rs 21 crore in stamp duty.

Besides Yeole, power of attorney holder of the Mundhwa land Sheetal Tejwani and Amadea Enterprises partner Digvijay Patil are also accused in the case. PTI SPK RSY