Ajit Pawar Says Pune Land Deal Involving Son Cancelled; Inquiry Panel Formed
The controversy centres on the sale of 40 acres of government-owned Mahar Vatan land to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Parth Pawar is a partner.
Mumbai:A day after the Maharashtra government ordered an inquiry into a ₹Rs 300-crore land deal in Pune involving NCP leader Parth Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday announced that the transaction had been cancelled. He said a six-member inquiry committee headed by Vikas Kharge, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue, Stamps and Registration), will conduct a detailed probe into the matter. The panel has been directed to submit its report within a month, according to a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the Revenue Department.
The controversy centres on the sale of 40 acres of government-owned Mahar Vatan land to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Parth Pawar is a partner. The deal, valued at about Rs 300 crore, allegedly involved irregularities, including unlawful transfer of government property, undervalued sale, and a stamp duty payment of just Rs 500.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have demanded Ajit Pawar’s resignation and registration of an FIR against Parth Pawar.
Ajit Pawar said, “The inquiry must be transparent and free from pressure. The truth will come out through the investigation. I have been informed that all transactions and deeds related to the land have been cancelled.”
The DCM added that he had asked his office staff whether any official was pressured to facilitate the deal. “No one has exerted any pressure,” he said.
Mr. Pawar clarified that the registration of the land deal was cancelled at the Pune registration office after submission of affidavits and relevant documents. “It is government land and cannot be sold,” he said, adding that FIRs have already been registered at two police stations against three persons involved in the case.
Responding to questions about why no FIR had been filed against Parth Pawar, the DCM said, “Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule informed me that an FIR has been registered against those who signed the documents at the registrar’s office.”
Ajit Pawar also said the controversy had prompted scrutiny of other land transactions. “If there are any cases related to me or my relatives, they should be investigated thoroughly. Law is above any position, and the Constitution framed by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is supreme,” he said.
Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that “lands are being looted in Pune” and demanded action against Parth Pawar. “The deal has been cancelled, and FIRs filed, but the landowner is also guilty. Similar action should be taken against Parth Pawar as was taken against his partner Digvijay Patil,” Mr. Wadettiwar said.
