• Source:JND
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Pune Land Deal Case: Maharashtra has been witnessing a political storm over Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son, Parth Pawar's involvement in an illegal sale of 40 acre government land for Rs 300 in the upscale Mundhwa area, situated in the outskirts of Pune. While the matter stemmed from a complaint by an activist in June this year, the political storm began after an FIR was filed on November 6 against Parth Pawar-owned company, Amedea Enterprises LLP, and its authorised signatories for not paying the stamp duty worth Rs 21 crore.

The opposition has alleged that not only the stamp duty was illegally waived off, the land in question -- reportedly worth Rs 1,800 crore -- was also undervalued on paper and sold to Parth Pawar-owned Amedea Enterprises for Rs 300 crore.

However, the matter reached the Mahayuti top brass on Friday with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar meeting Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Soon after, Ajit Pawar announced that the land deal has been cancelled, and claimed that his son Parth was not aware that the land purchased by his firm in Pune belonged to the government.

A high-level panel has also been constituted to probe the matter, and has been asked to submit its report within a month. "If, during the investigation, new names or links emerge, action will be taken against them as well. In the current FIR, no one has been spared. Let the inquiry report come; action will be taken against whoever is found guilty in it," Devendra Fadnavis said.

ALSO READ: 'My Son Did Not Know It Was Govt Property': Ajit Pawar's First Reaction After Meeting CM Fadnavis On Pune Land Deal Scam

Why Parth Pawar Not Named In FIR?

Two FIRs have been filed so far into the Rs 300 crore Pune land deal. The first FIR was filed by Pimpri-Chinchdwad police on a complaint filed by Inspector General of Registrar's office against Digvijay Patil (Parth Pawar's partner in Amedea Enterprises LLP, who reportedly owns 1% stake), Shital Tejwani (who represented the 272 'owners' of the land through a power of attorney), and sub-registrar RB Taru for alleged misappropriation and cheating.

The second FIR was filed by the Pune police on November 7 naming Digvijay Patil, Shital Tejwani and suspended revenue official Suryakant Yewale. According to the FIR, Yewale was known for facilitating illegal transfer of government land to private individuals.

However, both FIRs did not name Parth Pawar. When Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was asked why Parth Pawar has not been named in the FIR, he said that "when an FIR is registered, it is filed against the express parties involved." Reportely, Parth Pawar was not present when the alleged land deal was signed.

ALSO READ: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis Orders Probe, Suspends Official In Rs 300-Crore Pune Land Deal Involving Dy CM Ajit Pawar’s Son

"Those who don't even understand what an FIR (First Information Report) is are the ones making such baseless allegations. When an FIR is registered, it is filed against the express parties involved. In this case, the FIR has been filed against the company and its authorised signatories. It's important to understand that when an FIR is registered, it covers everyone involved: those who signed the documents, those who sold, those who carried out wrongful registration, and those who made alterations," he said.

The Maharashtra CM clarified that while an agreement between the parties existed, the payment was pending even as the registry had been completed. Both parties have since applied to cancel the registry, and a notice has been issued. Fadnavis emphasised that cancelling the registry will not affect the ongoing criminal case, and those found guilty after the month-long inquiry will face strict action.

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