PUNE: On Thursday, the Maharashtra charity commissioner ordered the cancellation of the sale of a prime property in Pune belonging to a Jain trust, following community protests over recent days.
This decision was prompted by the construction firm Gokhale Landmarks LLP and the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Digambar Smarak Trust’s request to terminate the sale deed concerning the 3.5-acre property in Model Colony, which includes a boarding facility and a Jain Temple.
The charity commissioner has revoked the April 2025 order that permitted the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Digambar Smarak Trust (SHNST) to enter into an agreement with Gokhale Landmarks. According to the order: “Gokhale Landmarks LLP and Trustees of SHNST shall take appropriate steps for the cancellation of the sale deed and power of attorney dated October 10, 2025. These actions should occur promptly. Upon cancellation, the trustees must refund the total sale amount to Gokhale Landmarks.”
Earlier this year, Pune-based Gokhale Landmarks LLP acquired the property for ₹311 crore from the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Memorial Trust, where ₹230 crore was paid upfront, with the outstanding amount allocated for hostel redevelopment.
Last week, the charity commissioner had ordered a status quo on the transaction.
Members of the Jain community protested in Pune and other cities across Maharashtra, accusing trustees of favoring the developer and breaching regulations regarding charitable land in the process.
The situation gained political traction when former MLA and Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar alleged that Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol was involved in the transaction, a claim that Mohol has denied.
