A land transaction in Pune valued at around ₹300 crore, involving a firm linked to the son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, has triggered a high-level government investigation amid allegations of irregularities. The Maharashtra government has formed a committee and suspended key registration officials to address questions over transparency, valuation and legitimacy of the sale.
The property at the centre of the controversy is a roughly 40-acre parcel in the Mundhwa area of Pune, adjoining the upscale Koregaon Park district, classified as “Mahar Watan” land reserved for the Mahar community under hereditary rights. According to official figures, the land, estimated by some parties to be worth as much as ₹1,800 crore, was sold for approximately ₹300 crore to Amadea Enterprises LLP, in which Parth Pawar—son of Ajit Pawar—is listed as a partner. The deal reportedly included a stamp-duty levy of only around ₹500 and allegations of a waiver of approximately ₹21 crore.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the transaction as “prima facie serious” and said records from the Revenue Department and Inspector General of Registration had been summoned for scrutiny. The sale deed, officials say, will be cancelled and a five-member inquiry committee led by Additional Chief Secretary Vikas Kharge has been assigned to submit findings within eight days. Meanwhile, the sub-registrar responsible for registering the deal has been suspended.
Parth Pawar has denied any wrongdoing, stating that he has “done nothing wrong” and that no scam was committed. His father Ajit Pawar has publicly stated that he has “no connection” with the transaction and insisted he never directed any official to act in favour of his relatives. He acknowledged awareness of unspecified concerns months earlier and claimed to have discouraged any improper action.
Opposition parties and civil-society activists have sharply criticised the government, alleging favouritism, undervaluation and impropriety. Leaders point to the discrepancy between the stated sale price and independent market estimates, the stamp-duty anomaly and the fact that private firms cannot legally buy Mahar Watan land without prior government sanction. The opposition demands a judicial probe and accountability for senior officials.
From the administrative side, Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi affirmed that the land has not been taken over by the buyer and that the sale deed will be nullified. The Tehsildar involved in the registration has also been suspended as investigations deepen. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule declared that if procedural exemptions such as stamp-duty concessions were misapplied, action would follow.
The controversy comes at a politically sensitive moment for the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, which includes the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Ajit Pawar and the Bharatiya Janata Party under Devendra Fadnavis. Observers note that the scandal risks undermining perceptions of probity in land transactions and governance of public-interest land assets. Activists argue that such dealings erode confidence in land-use policy and equity for historically disadvantaged communities.
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