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No rollback yet: Mundhwa deal yet to be cancelled despite Ajit Pawar’s announcement

Hearing on payment of Rs 21 crore stamp duty on December 4.

3 min readPuneNov 25, 2025 09:51 PM IST

After the controversy erupted, Ajit Pawar had argued that his son and his partners were not aware that the Mundhwa land belonged to the government. (File photo)

Amadea Enterprises—the firm owned by Ajit Pawar’s son Parth—has still not applied to get the Rs 300 crore Mundhwa land deal scrapped despite the Deputy Chief Minister himself announcing the cancellation of the deal on November 7.

”They have still not cancelled the deal. They had had approached the sub-registrar to see the possibility of cancelling the deal on a Rs 500 stamp paper but the sub-registrar told them that is not possible,” Santosh Hingane, Joint District Registrar and Collector of Stamp, told The Indian Express on Tuesday. Hingane said after reaching out the first time, Amadea Enterprises has still not approached the sub-registrar to cancel the deal.

Hingane said the firm had sought 15 days to put forth their explaination. ”Yesterday (Monday), they sought 15 days to explain theit stand on the notice regarding the payment of Rs 21 crore stamp duty for executing the deal. We told them to either pay it or submit their view. We have told them we will hold a hearing on December 4…,” he said. On Monday, Amadea Enterprises gave a list of 10 laywers to the IGR’s office. ”But we will hear out only one of them,” he said.

Hingane said, ”Our demand is that they first have to pay Rs 21 crore on the signed deal. And if they cancel the deal, they will have to pay an additional Rs 21 crore.”

After the controversy erupted, Ajit Pawar had argued that his son and his partners were not aware that the Mundhwa land belonged to the government. He announced the cancellation of the deal and said a committee appointed by the state government will probe the Rs 300 crore land deal and submit its report within a month. ”The land belonged to the government. It cannot be sold. Parth and his partner was not aware of this. The probe will bring out the facts,” he had said.

Officials said while the hearing on the issue of payment of Rs 21 crore stamp duty will take place, Amadea will have to pay one per cent of the fine on the unpaid stamp duty. ”The amount comes to Rs 21 lakh per month. This means, so far the fine has gone up to over Rs 1 crore,” said officials. As for the cancellation of the deal, officials said there is no deadline as such. ”We will take a call after the hearing,” said officials.

A committee headed by Joint Inspector General of Rajendra Muthe, which had recently submitted its report to the IGR, has not indicted Parth Pawar. The committee said no probe was conducted against him and only the evasion of stamp duty was probed.

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Activist Vijay Kumbhar said, ”The entire deal is in a uncertain zone. Parth Pawar and his firm will not only have to pay Rs 21 crore for the unpaid stamp duty but they will also have to pay additional Rs 21 crore for getting the deal cancelled. I think they are seeking time to find some way out or some loopholes in the law.”

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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