Pune land deal involving Parth Pawar's firm: EOW searches residences of arrested accused Tejwani

Pune, Dec 5 (PTI) The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Pune police on Friday conducted searches at the residences of Shital Tejwani, who has been arrested in connection with the Mundhwa land deal case that also involves a firm in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth is a partner, an official said.

The searches were carried out at Tejwani's residences in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic limits, he added.

Tejwani, the power of attorney holder for a 40-acre government land in Mundhwa that she "sold" to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Parth Pawar is a partner, for Rs 300 crore, was arrested on Wednesday by EOW. A court had remanded her in police custody till December 11.

"Today, we conducted the searches at her two residences in Pimpri Chinchwad and Koregaon Park," the EOW official said. He, however, refused to divulge details about the seizure of documents.

The probe has found that Tejwani, acting as power of attorney holder, had been attempting since 2013 to regrant the 40-acre Mahar 'watan' land 'watandars'.

While seeking her custody, the prosecution on Thursday told the court that the 40-acre land has been recorded in the name of 'Mumbai Sarkar' since 1955 and is leased to the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

"Despite knowing that the land belongs to the government, Tejwani, acting on behalf of 272 watandars (original Mahar watan landholders), submitted a petition before the then revenue minister seeking regrant of the land. The petition was rejected. She then approached the Bombay High Court, where too her plea was dismissed," the prosecution had said.

Despite repeated rejection of her claim, Tejwani made further attempts in 2020 and 2021 to secure regrant of the land, claiming she had paid an occupancy price of Rs 11,000 to the district collectorate and portraying the land as regranted to the watandars, the prosecution had told court.

However, the probe found no record of the Rs 11,000 being encashed by the collectorate.

"Despite the absence of any regrant order, Tejwani allegedly colluded with Amadea Enterprises LLP partner Digvijay Patil and executed a sale deed for Rs 300 crore, thereby, cheating the government," the prosecution had told the court.

It further claimed suspended tehsildar Suryakant Yeole had issued a letter to the Botanical Survey of India, which is in possession of the land, directing it to vacate the premises on the grounds that the land had been sold to Amadea.

"The police need to investigate whether Tejwani received the Rs 300 crore and the manner in which the money was transferred," the prosecution had said. PTI SPK BNM