PUNE: A committee led by a Joint Inspector General of Registration (IGR) has completed its investigation into a controversial Rs 300-crore land transaction involving a Pune firm co-owned by Parth Pawar, son of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. The committee has identified three individuals named in a police FIR, according to an official report.
The three-member panel’s findings were submitted on Tuesday, but it did not implicate Parth Pawar, as his name was absent from any of the relevant documentation, as per a senior official’s statement to PTI.
Joint IGR Rajendra Muthe, who led the committee, presented the report to IGR Ravindra Binwade, who then shared it with Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar.
The land sale, which involved 40 acres in the upscale Mundhwa area being sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP—where Parth Pawar is a partner—came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the plot was government property and not eligible for sale, besides being exempted from a Rs 21 crore stamp duty payment.
“As Parth Pawar’s name does not appear in the sale deed, he cannot be charged in this investigation. However, those directly involved, including suspended official (sub-registrar) Ravindra Taru, have been implicated,” stated the official.
The report also mentions Digvijay Patil (Parth Pawar’s business partner and cousin) and Sheetal Tejwani (who held power of attorney for the sellers) as being accused in the police FIR.
Further inquiries are underway by committees from the revenue department and the settlement commissioner, and their reports will also be submitted to additional chief secretary (revenue) Vikas Kharge, who heads a six-member panel appointed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to investigate the now-cancelled land deal.
The Muthe committee’s report has suggested measures to prevent similar fraudulent transactions in the future, including requiring the collector (stamp) to verify and approve any stamp duty waivers sought.
Additionally, the report emphasizes that documentation must be completely verified, involving a 7/12 extract (a crucial land record), dated no more than one month prior, along with evidence of property ownership.
According to an amendment to the Registration Act, 1908, effective April 20, 2025, it will henceforth be mandatory that all sub-registrars refuse to carry out registration for transactions involving government-owned properties. However, the current limitation of this provision only pertains to cases where government ownership is indisputable.
The report advocates for this restriction to also apply to transactions where government ownership or interest is ambiguous.
In a related action, the IGR’s office has given Amadea Enterprises seven days to respond to a notice demanding Rs 42 crore in stamp duty following the cancellation of the Mundhwa deal, despite the firm requesting a 15-day period.
