Pune land sale: Whenever there are polls, we face accusations, says Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said that the inquiry into the alleged illegal sale of a government land to his son’s company in Pune would reveal the truth to the public soon.

Speaking to reporters at Baramati in Pune district on Sunday (November 9), the NCP chief said if his close associates or relatives invoke his name and make any statements that violate the rules, the authorities must take appropriate action.

Questions have been raised about the sale of 40 acres of land in Pune’s upscale Mundhwa area for Rs 300 crore to a company in which Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar is a partner. Two First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered in the case, though Parth is not named in them.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that action was being taken as per law and there was no question of saving anybody. FIRs have been filed against signatories and vendors, and those found guilty in the probe will be booked, Fadnavis said, when asked about the FIR not naming Parth.

Whenever there are polls, we are blamed: Ajit

Asked about the land deal issue, Ajit Pawar said on Sunday, “I have already presented my stand clearly on various issues ongoing over the past few days. An inquiry has begun and the truth will soon come before the public.

Also read: Mundhwa land row: How Ajit Pawar’s son’s firm got entangled

“I still don’t understand how a document can be registered without even a transaction of one rupee? We’ll know within a month why the person who carried out this registration actually did it.”

“Earlier too, allegations of (irregularities of) Rs 70,000 crore were made against me, it’s been 15 to 16 years since then. Whenever there are elections, multiple accusations are made against us. We try to work transparently, but as soon as we do, people start digging up allegations over random land deals,” he said.

“Even if my close workers or relatives use my name and say something, and if it’s not as per the rules, the officials concerned must act on it,” he added.

Senior Pawar noncommittal

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday supported a probe into the controversial land deal. “The chief minister has said publicly that the matter is serious. So, he should conduct a probe and put the facts before society,” Pawar told reporters.

Sharad Pawar also appeared not to agree with his daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule’s remarks on Parth. Sule had said she didn’t think Parth would do anything wrong. “This could be her (Supriya’s) view,” he said, emphasising that the administration, politics, and family and different.

Elections to various local bodies in the state are scheduled to be held on December 2.

Sale deed scrapped

The sale deed of the government land to Amadea Enterprises has come under the scanner for want of the required clearances. Opposition leaders allege that its market value is Rs 1,800 crore, and it could not have been sold without the government’s permission.

Also read: Ajit Pawar says son Parth’s Rs 300-cr land deal cancelled after row over govt land in Pune

Based on a complaint filed by the Inspector General of Registrar’s Office, the Pimpri Chinchwad police have registered an FIR against Digvijay Patil, Shital Tejwani (who represented the 272 “owners” of the land through the power of attorney), and sub-registrar RB Taru for alleged misappropriation and cheating.

Ajit Pawar has announced that the sale deed executed by his son Parth’s firm for the prime land in Pune has been scrapped, even as officials said the company will have to cough up double the stamp duty, which comes to Rs 42 crore, to get the transaction cancelled.

He has claimed Parth was unaware that the land purchased by his firm belonged to the government.

(With agency inputs)