Mundhwa land deal: Minister Bawankule terms IGR panel report `imaginary'

Mumbai, Nov 19 (PTI) Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday dismissed as "imaginary" a report submitted by a committee headed by Joint Inspector General of Registration (IGR) Rajendra Muthe on the Mundhwa land deal.

The committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge is the only committee conducting an inquiry, the BJP leader said, adding that there was no question of multiple committees examining the matter -- which involves an illegal sale of 40 acres of government land to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a company owned by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth.

"There are no multiple committees set up to probe the case. The committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge is the only committee which is currently doing its work. No other person has any right to conduct an inquiry or issue a clean chit to anyone," Bawankule told reporters.

Calling the Muthe committee report, submitted on Tuesday, as "an imaginary report", Bawankule said the government will ensure a fair and comprehensive scrutiny of all aspects of the case.

"We are going to give a chance to Amadea Enterprises LLP as well as the persons involved in the land sale to present their sides. It is a civil matter. Social activist Anjali Damania will also be allowed to depose before the committee," he added.

"Nobody will escape the inquiry," Bawankule stressed.

The sale to Amadea Enterprises came under the scanner after it emerged that the land belonged to the government, and the firm had received a stamp duty waiver of Rs 21 crore.

On Tuesday, the three-member committee headed by Joint IGR Rajendra Muthe submitted its report on the Rs 300-crore transaction to IGR Ravindra Binwade, who forwarded it to Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar. According to a senior official, the report indicted all three persons named in a related police FIR -- suspended sub-registrar Ravindra Taru, Parth Pawar's business partner and cousin Digvijay Patil, and Sheetal Tejwani, who held the power of attorney for the land sellers.

However, the official said the report did not mention Parth Pawar. "Since Parth Pawar's name does not come on record in the entire sale deed, he cannot be indicted in the probe," the officials had said. PTI ND KRK