Sharad Pawar Calls for Transparent Investigation into Grandnephew's Rs 1,800 Crore Pune Land Deal Controversy

Parth Pawar's company has allegedly acquired government land in Pune valued at Rs 1,800 crore for merely Rs 300 crore.

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar has finally addressed the controversial land deal involving his grandnephew after two days of political turmoil. He emphasized that a thorough investigation should be conducted with the findings made public.

"Since the Chief Minister has openly stated that this is a serious matter, he must ensure a complete inquiry and present all facts to the public," Pawar stated on Saturday.

Pawar, whose nephew Ajit Pawar currently serves as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister after splitting the NCP and joining Eknath Shinde's government in 2023, clarified the family dynamics amid the controversy. He explained that while family members hold differing political ideologies, they remain unified as a family. He noted that his grandson had contested against Ajit Pawar, and Ajit's wife had run against his daughter Supriya Sule, demonstrating that political rivalries do not affect their personal family relationships.

Ajit Pawar's son, Parth, faces accusations in a significant land scandal. The allegations claim that Amadea Enterprises LLP, where Parth is a partner, purchased 43 acres of government land in Pune worth over Rs 1,800 crore for just Rs 300 crore.

The property reportedly falls under the 'Watan' category allocated to the Mahar community and, according to the Bombay Inferior Village Watans Abolition Act, 1958, could not be transferred without government authorization. Additionally, a stamp duty exemption was reportedly issued two days after the transaction, with Parth Pawar's company paying only Rs 500 as stamp duty on the Rs 300 crore deal.

Regarding Sule's previous defense of Parth, Sharad Pawar distanced himself, stating it was her personal viewpoint. When questioned about whether he believed Ajit Pawar was being targeted within the ruling Mahayuti coalition, he indicated he had no information.

Two legal cases have been filed regarding the land transaction, but Parth Pawar has not been named in either, prompting criticism from Opposition parties.

Ambadas Danve from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar and Harshwardan Sapkal have questioned the omission of Pawar's name from the cases.

Sharad Pawar's other grandnephew, Rohit Pawar, known for his vocal criticism of the government on various issues from Minister Manikrao Kokate playing rummy in the Assembly to alleged PWD irregularities, has remained unexpectedly quiet. His silence has been noted by the ruling coalition, with minister Sanjay Shirsat mockingly asking on X why the "dear parrot" had suddenly gone silent, referencing Rohit's typically aggressive stance on corruption.

The controversy gained national attention when Rahul Gandhi characterized it as "land theft" and connected it to "vote theft," marking one of his first direct criticisms of the Pawar family.

Ajit Pawar met with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday and claimed that Parth was unaware the property was government land.

"The land in question is government property that cannot be sold. Parth and his partner Digvijay Patil were not aware of this fact. The investigation will reveal how the registration was processed and who bears responsibility," Pawar stated.

The case named three individuals, including Patil, but not Parth, because those three were the ones who visited the registrar's office to sign the documents, according to the deputy chief minister.

"Neither I nor my office made any calls, provided any assistance, or had any involvement or knowledge about this transaction at any stage... this was merely an agreement to purchase land, and no payment was made by Parth, his company Amadea, or any member of my family to the seller, and possession of the land has not been taken. Therefore, the transaction remains incomplete," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.