PUNE: The Maharashtra charity commissioner has ordered the cancellation of a Jain trust’s prime property sale in Pune to a builder. However, officials report that neither party has approached the Registration and Stamp Department to finalize the cancellation deed.
On Tuesday, Jain spiritual leader Acharya Guptinandi Maharaj, who spearheaded the protest against the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Jain hostel property deal between Model Colony trustees and Gokhale Landmarks LLP, threatened to resume the agitation if the deal is not nullified within a few days.
The land, which includes a boarding facility for Jain students and the Bhagwan Mahavir temple, is located in the upscale Model Colony. Earlier this year, Pune-based Gokhale Landmarks LLP acquired it for Rs 311 crore from the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Memorial Trust, paying Rs 230 crore upfront, with the remainder earmarked for hostel redevelopment.
Opposition from students, alumni, religious leaders, and other Jain community members led to the deal’s cancellation by both parties.
Despite this, an official from the Inspector General Registration (IGR) office stated that neither party has yet approached the Registration and Stamps Department to formalize the cancellation.
Acharya Guptinandi Maharaj declared that a senior sage from the community would embark on an indefinite hunger strike outside the chief minister’s residence if the deal is not rescinded soon.
The situation has taken a political turn, with former MLA and Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar alleging the involvement of Union minister Murlidhar Mohol in the transaction, a claim that has been denied by Mohol.
