Mundhwa land deal: Pimpri Chinchwad police focus on stamp duty waiver, get Tejwani’s custody for eight days

The Pune land deal has been embroiled in a controversy as the land in Mundhwa, that fell under the category of Mahar Watan land and was leased to the Botanical Survey of India, was sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP without the mandatory approval of the state government, at significantly lower price than the market value and with a stamp duty waiver.

Tejwani was first arrested by Pune City police on December 3 and after two custody remands, she was sent to judicial custody on Monday. Earlier, the Pimpri Chinchwad police had submitted a production warrant for Tejwani seeking her police custody. On Tuesday, the Pimpri Chinchwad police secured Tejwani’s custody from Yerawada Central Prison. She was produced before a court and was remanded in police custody of eight days till December 23.

“The main focus of our probe is the stamp duty waiver which was wrongfully obtained for the registration of the deed in May. We will be establishing a chain of evidence in this regard as part of our probe,” said an officer from Pimpri Chinchwad police. It is alleged that the total cost of the land was in the range of Rs 1,800 crore, but it was sold to the company for Rs 300 crore along with a waiver of stamp duty. Based on the complaint filed by officials from the Inspector General of Registration, an FIR was registered late in the first week of November at Bavdhan police station under Pimpri Chinchwad police as the registration of land deal took place at sub-registrar office ‘Haveli Number 4’ in its jurisdiction. In the Mundhwa land deal, Amadea Enterprises is alleged to have paid only Rs 500 stamp duty. After the controversy erupted, the firm was served a notice to pay Rs 21 crore stamp duty for executing the deal.

On December 7, the Pimpri Chinchwad police had arrested Ravindra Taru, the now-suspended sub-registrar who had registered the sale deed in May this year. Taru is in the police custody till December 19. Meanwhile in Pimpri Chinchwad, police also questioned Digvijay Patil, who is Parth Pawar’s partner. The Bavdhan police station FIR states that Tejwani held the power of attorney on behalf of the original land owners and sold the land to Amadea Enterprises LLP on their behalf. Digvijay Patil made the deal on behalf of Amadea Enterprises LLP and Taru was the sub registrar who registered the deal.