Maharashtra CM Fadnavis Addresses Controversial Pune Land Deal: "No Question of Saving Anybody"

Those found guilty in the probe will be booked, Devendra Fadnavis said

After Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced that the sale deed executed by his son Parth's firm for a prime land in Pune has been scrapped, officials said the company will have to pay double the stamp duty, which amounts to Rs 42 crore, to get the transaction cancelled.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday stated that action in the Pune land deal case is proceeding according to law and there is no intention of protecting anyone involved.

FIRs have been filed against signatories and vendors, and those proven guilty during the investigation will face charges, Fadnavis explained when questioned about why Parth's name was not included in the First Information Report.

"Those making baseless allegations don't even understand what an FIR entails. When an FIR is registered, it's filed against the express parties involved. In this case, the FIR has been filed against the company and its authorized signatories," he clarified.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar expressed support for investigating the controversial land deal connected to his grandnephew Parth's company.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal demanded the state government release a 'white paper' on land transactions in Pune and Mumbai, and hold a full-day discussion during the upcoming winter session of the state legislature.

An official stated that the Department of Registration and Stamps has informed Digvijay Amarsinh Patil, Parth Pawar's cousin and partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP, that the firm must pay the original 7 percent stamp duty (comprising 5 percent under the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1 percent Local Body Tax, and 1 percent Metro Cess), as they had claimed an exemption by stating a data centre was planned for the land.

Additionally, the company must pay another 7 percent stamp duty to execute the cancellation deed, the official added.

The firm had claimed a stamp duty exemption during the sale deed by declaring that a data centre would be established on the property. However, the cancellation deed indicates this plan has been abandoned.

On Thursday, the sale deed of the 40-acre government land in upscale Mundhwa area to Amadea Enterprises came under scrutiny for lacking required clearances. Opposition leaders claimed its market value was Rs 1,800 crore.

Based on a complaint from the Inspector General of Registrar's office, Pimpri Chinchwad police registered an FIR against Digvijay Patil, Shital Tejwani (who represented the 272 'owners' of the land through power of attorney), and sub-registrar R B Taru for alleged misappropriation and cheating.

Ajit Pawar claimed on Friday that Parth was unaware the land purchased by his firm belonged to the government, and announced that the Rs 300 crore deal has now been cancelled.

Joint Sub Registrar, Class 2, A P Fulaware, ordered that "It is necessary to pay the stamp duty at the rate of 7 percent (5 percent under the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1 percent Local Body Tax + 1 percent Metro Cess). Hence, the deficit stamp duty and penalty pertaining to the sale deed must be deposited with the Stamps Collector, Pune City, and the said document must be duly stamped." The official also stated that to execute the cancellation deed, the firm will need to pay an additional 7 percent stamp duty.

The letter specified that the deed will only be cancelled after the stamp duty is paid.

Amadea Enterprises, co-owned by Parth Pawar and his cousin Digvijay Patil, entered into an agreement with Shital Tejwani and executed the sale deed for Rs 300 crore.

The deal came under investigation after it was revealed that the land belonged to 'Mumbai Sarkar', and while executing the deal, the firm allegedly had the 7 percent stamp duty waived by colluding with sub-registrar R B Taru, who processed the deal at the sub-registrar office.

The 7 percent stamp duty for the Rs 300 crore deal amounts to Rs 21 crore.

In a conversation with PTI, Joint Inspector General of Stamps and Registration, Rajendra Muthe, explained that Amadea had requested stamp duty exemption, claiming a data centre was proposed on the land.

"However, during scrutiny, it was revealed that an exemption cannot be given to such a proposal and hence, the firm will have to pay the original stamp duty of 7 percent and an additional 7 percent to execute the cancellation deed," he stated.

Speaking to reporters in Akola, Sharad Pawar said, "The chief minister has publicly stated that the land deal matter is serious, so he should conduct a probe and present the facts to the public." When asked if his nephew Ajit Pawar was being politically targeted by allies in the ruling Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP, the former Union minister replied, "I wouldn't know."

Sharad Pawar seemed to disagree with his daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule's remarks about Parth. Sule had said she didn't believe Parth would do anything wrong. "This could be her (Supriya's) view," he commented.

He emphasized that administration, politics, and family are distinct from one another.

"As a family, we (Pawars) are one, but we are divided ideologically. One of my grandnephews had contested against Ajit Pawar, and Ajit Pawar's wife had contested against my daughter," he said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)