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Pune land deal: Parth Pawar not probed, sub-registrar; Tejwani, Patil guilty of stamp duty evasion, says panel report

The land, possessed by the government and leased to the Botanical Survey of India, could not have been sold in this way, the District Collector has clarified in the past, the report said.

Written by: Manoj Dattatrye More, Soham Shah

5 min readPuneUpdated: Nov 20, 2025 05:34 AM IST

The Pune land deal has been embroiled in 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. (File Photo)

A committee headed by Joint Inspector General of Registration (IGR) Rajendra Muthe has not named Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in its report on the 44-acre Mundhwa land deal controversy as the probe related only to levy of stamp duty and its evasion.

The committee, first of two investigating the controversial land deal in Pune’s Mundhwa, allegedly involving Parth, has named Digvijay Patil of Amadea Enterprises LLP, Sheetal Tejwani and sub-registrar Ravindra Taru in its report submitted Tuesday. The committee probed only stamp duty evasion, while another panel is carrying out the probe into other aspects of the case.

“All those named in the FIRs are responsible for stamp duty evasion…,” Muthe said in the report, which has been submitted to Inspector General of Registration (IGR) Ravindra Binwade. The report was forwarded to Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar on Tuesday.

Like the FIR registered in the matter, the report does not name Parth. Patil, Tejwani and Taru are named in FIR. Taru has been charged with executing a fraudulent sale deed related to a government land. Tejwani held the power of attorney for 272 land holders of Mahar Watan land. Patil is a partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP, where Parth Pawar has 99 per cent share holding. He is a close relative of Parth.

When asked whether Parth has also been held guilty, Muthe told The Indian Express, “The committee probed the aspect of tax evasion and found the three guilty which includes the sub-registrar. FIRs have been registered against all the three. The committee’s job was to look into how much stamp duty should have been levied, the evasion aspect and the deficiencies related to it.”

The report said Taru, who registered the Mundhwa land, showed it as moveable property when it should have been registered as immoveable property. “As it is an immoveable property, it should have been registered as such. But be it moveable or immoveable, the stamp duty has not been paid,” the report said.

“It has been established there has been tax evasion and an invalid document has been attached with the deal. The 7/12 extract which has now been converted into property card was attached with the registered deal,” it said.

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The report said when the land deal for Rs 294 crore was registered, Rs 21 crore stamp duty should have been levied besides registration fees. “However, only Rs 500 stamp duty has been paid leading to loss of huge amount of revenue to the government,” it said. Though the land deal was struck for Rs 294 crore, its market value is stated to be around Rs 1,800 crore.

IGR officials said Rs 21 crore stamp duty was not paid when the deal was signed and now for cancelling the deal, another Rs 21 crore will have to be paid by Amadea Enterprises. A notice to the effect was served to the firm on November 6 by the Department of Registration and Stamps. The cancellation of the deal was announced by Ajit Pawar himself after the controversy erupted.

Meanwhile, the Muthe committee said in cases of land transactions where a stamp duty waiver has been sought, the Collector of Stamp must approve the transaction as per Section 31 of the relevant Act.

The report recommended that qualified senior and experienced Joint Deputy Registrars should be appointed to the posts of Joint Deputy Registrars in districts that are important for revenue collection in the state and care should be taken to ensure that these posts do not remain vacant.

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The report also recommended a modification in the The Registration Act 1908 by saying, “Section 18A has been inserted in the Registration Act, 1908 as per the amendment dated 28/04/2025. As per clause (b) of sub-section (1) thereof, it is mandatory for the secondary registrars not to register the deeds of purchase and sale etc. of properties owned by the government and similar authorities. However, this provision is limited to ‘ownership’ only. It seems necessary to make a clear provision in the said Act to ensure that the deeds of properties which are not yet ‘owned’ by the government but are in the possession of the government and / or have other interests are not registered.”

The land, possessed by the government and leased to the Botanical Survey of India, could not have been sold in this way, the District Collector has clarified in the past, the report said.

Meanwhile, activist Anjali Damnia said, “Parth Pawar has not been given any clean chit. The day suspended tehsildar Suryakant Yewale is brought to the police station, he will spill the beans.”

Damania said if Yewale is questioned by the police, he will take the name of Parth Pawar and Amadea Enterprises. “He will reveal all the details as to how the deal took place…,” she claimed.

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Damania said the police should arrest Yewale. “I urge the police to arrest Yewale who has got anticipatory bail,” she said.

Damania said Ajit Pawar will have to resign as Deputy Chief Minister.

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

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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