Sub-registrar suspended, probe ordered over Rs 300-cr land deal by firm linked to Ajit Pawar’s son

Pune, Nov 6 (PTI) The Maharashtra Revenue Department has suspended a sub-registrar over a Rs 300-crore land deal allegedly involving Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar and set up a committee to investigate the transaction, an official said on Thursday.

Responding to questions about the land deal, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said orders have been given to conduct a probe as “prima facie, the issue appears serious”, even as the Opposition targeted the ruling Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Ajit Pawar’s NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, over it.

According to the official, 40 acres of “Mahar Vatan land belonging to the government” was sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP, in which Parth Pawar is a partner, for Rs 300 crore, and the stamp duty on it was waived.

Being government land, the plot cannot be sold to a private firm, he said.

Inspector General of Registration Ravindra Binwade told PTI that they have constituted a high-level committee to find out how the government land was sold to a private firm and to ascertain whether the exemption was given as per the norms.

“The documents submitted to claim the exemption will be checked. The committee will also see what sort of documents were produced during registration. But as an immediate action, we have suspended the sub-registrar because, if it is government land, the registration should not have taken place,” he said.

Sources in the revenue department claimed that on the ‘7/12 extract’, a key property document, the land is in the name of ‘Mumbai Sarkar’. “The property cards show the name of the owners, who sold it to the private firm,” they said.

PTI tried to reach Parth Pawar by phone for his comments, but he did not respond.

Besides Parth Pawar, Digvijay Patil, in whose name the registration has taken place, is the co-partner in the firm.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis said, “Prime facie, the issue looks serious. I’ve sought all information concerning the case from the relevant departments. Orders have been given to conduct a probe. I can speak about it and the action to be taken after getting all the details.” According to RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar, a land parcel in Pune’s upmarket Mundhwa area was allegedly purchased for about Rs 300 crore by a company linked to Parth Pawar despite its market rate being “considerably higher”. He also claimed that "the stamp duty of Rs 21 crore on this deal was waived".

“Why are some people more equal than others?” he asked in a social post on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said his department would examine the alleged land deal only after receiving a complaint.

Talking to reporters, the BJP minister said activist Anjali Damania had called him earlier in the day to inform him about the alleged transaction, and that she would file a written complaint with him by November 11.

“The Industries Department, while encouraging certain industries, offers waivers or reliefs. That department will have to provide all relevant details. Instead of making any statements now, I will wait till November 11 when Damania submits her documents,” he had said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition attacked the government over the land deal.

Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar demanded a judicial inquiry into the transaction, claiming it was done in violation of the law.

“The purchase of land by the company of Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, must be investigated in a transparent manner. This is government land, and it was sold without any decision from the Revenue Department in this matter,” he claimed.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve claimed that the land bought by the private company is worth Rs 1,800 crore. He said the company passed a resolution on April 22 to set up an IT park and submitted a proposal to the government despite “having a capital of Rs 1 lakh”.

Danve also alleged that the transaction was completed in just 27 days, and the Industries Department waived the stamp duty. “Earlier, Ajit Pawar said that people want everything for free. If that’s the case, why do they want it (the land) for free?” he asked. PTI SPK CLS AW NR