PUNE: Just two days after Vishal Gokhale from Gokhale Landmarks LLP announced plans to withdraw from the contentious land agreement concerning the 3.5-acre property of the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Digambar Jain Boarding Trust, the trustees informed the charity commissioner on Tuesday that they also intend to cancel the deal.
In an application submitted to charity commissioner Amogh Kaloti through their attorney Ishan Kolhatkar, the trustees noted that a board meeting had been called on October 27, following Gokhale’s email requesting the cancellation deed.
They unanimously agreed to accept the developer’s proposal, emphasizing the importance of community harmony, transparency, public trust, and the longstanding reputation of the trust as primary considerations, according to the application.
Giriraj Sharan Agrawal, representing the five trustees, stated, “The cancellation is being sought on moral, social, and practical grounds.”
The trustees also highlighted that maintaining the existing temple-cum-prayer hall was a critical condition of the land deal, which had been clearly communicated to the developer from the start.
Commissioner Kaloti extended the status quo granted on October 20 regarding the land deal until October 30, after both Gokhale’s lawyer Nishchal Anand and the trust’s lawyer Kolhatkar requested additional time to prepare their responses.
Kolhatkar told TOI that during the hearing, the petitioner Sakal Jain Samaj’s lawyer, Yogesh Pande, presented new documents that required further review.
On October 20, the charity commissioner instructed the joint commissioner of Pune to provide a detailed report on whether the 3.5 acres includes a Jain temple and its potential impact from redevelopment. This was notably absent from the original application and the government-registered valuation report, the charity commissioner noted during the hearing.
Rajni Kshirsagar, Pune’s joint charity commissioner, submitted the report to Kaloti on Monday, indicating the presence of a temple/prayer hall covering 1,452.11 sq ft within the hostel premises. This temple is not officially registered and is managed by the trust’s hostel superintendent and its residents.
Kshirsagar’s report stated, “According to trustee Jayant Narayan Nandurkar’s statement, redevelopment will not harm or displace the temple/prayer hall.” The developer can provide assurances regarding this issue in the upcoming charity commissioner hearing.
Community members on fast today
Jain muni Acharya Guptinand Maharaj, leading the protests, declared that agitation will persist until the land deal is formally cancelled.
He announced that community members will observe a fast on Wednesday, continuing their protest for eight more days under the Save HND banner.
The community expects a favorable final decision from the charity commissioner on October 30.
