Shiv Sena (UBT) leader alleges revenue dept, police protecting Parth Pawar in land case

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare on Friday accused Maharashtras revenue and police departments of trying to save Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, from action in the controversial Pune land deal case, reported news agency PTI. A Rs 300-crore land deal in Pune involving a firm linked to Parth Pawar has been embroiled in charges of irregularities, set off a political row and prompted the government to suspend a sub-registrar and order a high-level probe. An FIR has also been registered against three persons in connection with the transaction. Despite the same document (No. 9018/225) being used in the registration process, and the inquiry report specifically mentioning Parth Pawars signature on the District Industries Boards resolution granting stamp duty exemption, why have the authorities avoided naming him? she asked, reported PTI. The Sena (UBT) leader alleged that the revenue department and police were trying to protect him from legal action. According to an official, 40 acres of Mahar Vatan land, denoting hereditary landholding to Mahar (scheduled caste) community, in Punes upmarket Mundhwa area, was sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP, represented by its partner Digvijay Amarsinh Patil, for Rs 300 crore, and the stamp duty on it was waived, reported PTI. Parth Pawar is also a partner in the firm, the official said. The land was sold through one Shital Tejwani. The property had a total of 272 names, and Tejwani held a power of attorney for the property. Being government land, the plot cannot be sold to a private firm, an official had said on Thursday. Meanwhile, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged that Parth Pawar owns a company that manufactures country liquor. He claimed that Ajit Pawar has taken several decisions to benefit his sons company and has kept the excise department with him for the same purpose, reported PTI. Senior NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse on Thursday demanded a probe under a sitting High Court judge into the alleged irregularities in a Pune land deal linked to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawars son Parth Pawar. Khadse, once part of the BJP, also said Ajit Pawar should step down from the Devendra Fadnavis government till the inquiry is completed. The investigation in this case should be headed by a High Court judge and not by the government. Otherwise, the probe will end up like earlier cases against Ajit Pawar. My demand is that Ajit Pawar should resign till the enquiry is over. If he is not involved, he can withdraw his resignation, but he should take moral responsibility, Khadse told reporters in Mumbai. Speaking about the Bhosari land procurement case that led to his resignation from the BJP government in June 2016 and the current allegations against Parth Pawar, Khadse said there was little in common between the two cases. I was asked to resign even though I had not bought the Bhosari land or paid any money. I took moral responsibility and stepped down despite having no direct role in the matter. Parth Pawar directly purchased the Pune land at a highly subsidised rate. The stamp duty waiver proposal contained misleading information, allowing the transaction to be cleared within two days, Khadse pointed out. The capital of Parth Pawars company is just Rs 1 lakh, but he entered into a Rs 300-crore deal. Who gave him that money? How did he raise such huge funds? All this needs to be probed. The deal is suspicious, the former state minister added. (With inputs from PTI)