Pune land deal: Tehsildar Yewale was arrested by ACB in 2011 for ‘taking bribe’

A few years later in 2013, the Undersecretary of Revenue and Forest Department in an order wrote that Yewale was being suspended as he had failed to take charge of his appointed position in Etapalli, Gadchiroli. An inquiry was ordered against him in this regard as well.

Later in 2016, Yewale, as tehsildar of Indapur in Pune, was again suspended for reasons like failing to take action against illegal sand mining on the banks of rivers Bhima and Nira. The letter said “irregularities such as failure to submit an explanation in the showcause notice, dereliction of duty and failure to follow the orders of superiors, deliberate neglect of office work, failure to submit the report within the prescribed time,” and others were found in his work.

Another document shows that Yewale passed the 2001 Maharashtra Public Service Commission exam under the disabled-deaf category and was recommended for appointment as Naib Tehsildar.

RTI activist and Aam Aadmi Party member Vijay Kumbhar, who unearthed the documents, told The Indian Express, “The people who are supposed to investigate all of these matters seem to be involved in this and have orchestrated transfers (of Yewale). The civil services board has to be consulted before transferring anyone but it seems it has not been done here. Either the members of this board are involved or the ministers have done it without their knowledge. Either option is against the Supreme Court order regarding the civil services board. This means that even if some people loot all of Maharashtra it makes no difference.” He added that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should urgently take notice of the issue.

Currently, Yewale is under the scanner for an eviction notice he sent to the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) to vacate a 44 acre plot in Koregaon Park. The Mahar Watan plot, seized by the government in 1950s and leased to the BSI till 2038, was purchased by Parth Pawar’s firm for Rs 300 crore from a person holding power of attorney for the original 272 watandars. Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi and the government of Maharashtra have termed the deal illegal as the land is owned by the government and has a closed 7/12 extract.