Pune land deal: Cops question suspended tehsildar and power of attorney holder

Pune, Dec 11 (PTI) The police have jointly questioned suspended tehsildar Suryakant Yeole and power of attorney holder Sheetal Tejwani in the controversial Pune land deal involving a firm linked to Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar, an official said.

Besides Tejwani and Amadea Enterprises LLP partner Digvijay Patil, Yeole is the third accused named in the case registered at the Khadak police station. Parth Pawar is a majority partner in Amadea Enterprises, but has not been named in the FIR. Patil is Parth Pawar's business partner and cousin.

Tejwani, who held the power of attorney (PoA) on behalf of land sellers, was arrested on December 3 and is in police custody till December 11.

The Pune police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which is probing the case, questioned Yeole and Tejwani on Wednesday.

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 that 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.

A police official said Yeole was summoned to the EOW office and both he and Tejwani were questioned together.

The suspended tehsildar was questioned about the notice he issued to the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), the lessee of the 40-acre land, asking it to vacate the property.

Following a letter received from Amadea Enterprises, stating that the firm is the new owner of the land following the deal, Yeole sent an eviction notice to BSI, a governmental research institution, instead of informing about the matter to the district collector's office, according to the official.

Power of attorney holder Tejwani sold the land to Amadea Enterprises despite knowing it belonged to the state government.

Following the arrest of Tejwani, the EOW seized the original sale deed and the original power of attorney given to her by the 272 original watandars (hereditary holders) of the land.

After the deal came to light, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar last month said Parth and his business partner were not aware that the land belonged to the government. He claimed the controversial transaction has been cancelled.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday raised sharp questions regarding the police probe into a controversial deal, suggesting authorities might be shielding Parth Pawar by failing to name him in the FIR.

Noting that Parth Pawar, a majority partner in the firm involved, was omitted from the FIR, a single judge bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar asked directly, "Is the police protecting the son of the deputy chief minister and only investigating others?" Public Prosecutor Mankunwar Deshmukh said the police investigating the case will take necessary action as per the law.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that from the very beginning, the government's stand in the Pune land deal case was not to protect anyone, and assured that action will be taken against whoever is found guilty. PTI SPK RSY GK