A ₹300-crore land purchase by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son, involving government land reserved for Dalits, has spiralled into a full-blown political controversy in Maharashtra, prompting an official inquiry and straining ties between the NCP and BJP.
A political controversy has engulfed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar after a company owned by his son, Parth Pawar, was accused of irregularities in purchasing government land in Pune reserved for Dalits.
The deal has not only placed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in a difficult position but also strained its alliance with the BJP.
At the centre of the controversy is a 40-acre plot in Pune’s Mundhwa area, originally classified as ‘Mahar Watan’ land—a category reserved for members of the Scheduled Caste Mahar community under the Bombay Inferior Village Watans Abolition Act, 1958. Such land cannot be sold without prior government approval.
Parth Pawar’s firm, Amadea Holdings LLP, reportedly bought the land for around ₹300 crore, though its market value was estimated at ₹1,804 crore.
Allegations further deepened when it emerged that the company had received a stamp duty waiver, paying only ₹500 on the ₹300 crore transaction under the pretext that a data centre was to be built there.
Opposition Attacks
The issue exploded politically when Opposition leaders accused the government of favouritism and demanded that the land be returned to the state.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve pointed out that Amadea’s registered capital was merely ₹1 lakh, questioning how such a company managed to acquire premium land in Pune’s upscale Koregaon Park area.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi amplified the issue nationally, describing it as a case of “land theft by the government.” He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of remaining silent while “Dalit land is being stolen to benefit the powerful.”
Ajit Pawar’s Defence
Responding to the charges, Ajit Pawar said his son and nephew Digvijay Patil—both partners in the firm—were unaware that the land was government-owned. He said the deal was scrapped once they realised the legal implications.
“The sale deed should not have been executed. The registrar should not have registered it,” Pawar said, adding that procedural lapses by officials had already been identified. He also advised his son to treat this as a lesson in due diligence.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar, who heads a rival NCP faction, echoed the call for transparency, saying the Chief Minister must conduct an inquiry and make the findings public.
BJP’s Response and Inquiry
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the allegations “serious” and announced a high-level probe led by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge.
“The government will not spare anyone if irregularities are found,” Fadnavis said.
Meanwhile, the government has filed an FIR against three individuals linked to the transaction and directed Amadea Holdings to pay double the stamp duty, estimated at ₹42 crore, along with fresh registration costs for the deal’s cancellation.
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