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

Has other corruption & negligence charges against him in the past

Pune land deal, parth pawar Pune land deal, Tehsildar Yewale arrested by ACB, Suryakant Yewale, Koregaon Park land deal, Pune news, Pune, Maharashtra news, Indian express, current affairs

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.

Suspended Pune City tehsildar Suryakant Yewale has previously faced corruption and negligence charges in various postings across Maharashtra. Documents from Nagpur, Gadchiroli, and Indapur reveal that Yewale was arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in 2011 and later, in separate cases, suspended for negligence of duty. Yewale has now again been suspended over his alleged involvement in the controversial multi-crore Koregaon Park land deal linked to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar.

A 2011 letter by the Divisional Commissioner of Nagpur to the Chief Secretary (Revenue) detailed how Yewale was arrested by the ACB while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 while serving as naib tehsildar on October 18 that year. The letter stated that he was released on bail and requested that an inquiry be conducted against him. The current status of the case was not available.

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.

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 covering 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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