Maharashtra Orders Probe into Rs 1,800-Crore Pune Land Deal Linked to Parth Pawar; Registrar Suspended Amid Irregularities

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has launched a high-level investigation into a massive land transaction in Pune’s Mundhwa area after the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) flagged serious procedural lapses and potential revenue losses amounting to several crores. The deal, valued at around ₹1,800 crore, has been reportedly linked to Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, though his name does not appear in the initial complaint.

An interim report submitted by the IGR to the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue Department) in Mumbai uncovered irregularities in the sale and registration of a 43-acre government-associated land parcel that was transferred for just ₹300 crore to Amedia Enterprises LLP, a company said to have business ties with Parth Pawar.

The land in question was earlier leased to the Indian Botanical Survey for a nominal rent of ₹1 per year, with the lease valid until 2038 — a clause indicating continued state ownership. Despite this, officials allegedly processed a sale deed in favour of Amedia Enterprises without obtaining the necessary government permission or No Objection Certificate (NOC).

Investigators revealed that while the transaction value was declared at ₹300 crore, the stamp duty paid amounted to only ₹500, instead of the estimated ₹21 crore due under regular valuation norms. Even under a concessional 5% rate for data centre development, the state was entitled to at least ₹6 crore in local taxes such as Metro Cess and Local Body Tax (LBT).

The report directly names Ravindra Taru, then Joint Sub-Registrar, for bypassing mandatory procedures and approving the registration without verifying ownership documents. Taru has been suspended, and the government has initiated steps to recover the unpaid dues and file criminal charges against those involved, including the Power of Attorney holder and representatives of Amedia Enterprises.

Following the revelations, the state government has constituted a special inquiry committee to probe the functioning of the Stamp Duty and Registration Department and to identify systemic failures that enabled the irregularity. The committee has been given eight days to submit its detailed findings.