Pune: Suspended Sub Registrar Sent To Police Custody Till December 15 In Mundhwa Mahar Watan Land Scam Involving Parth Pawar’s Company

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Suspended Sub Registrar Ravindra Taru was arrested by Pimpri-Chinchwad Police on Sunday night, and he was produced in Paud Court on Monday. Paud Court have granted him an eight-day police custody, which will be there until 15th December. Taru, Sheetal Tejwani and Digvijay Patil of Amadea Enterprises LLP were accused of scamming and cheating by illicitly trying to sell the government-owned Mahar Watan Land Deal in Mundhwa. A case was registered against them at Bavdhan Police Station (under Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate).  

Sheetal Tejwani and Digvijay Patil colluded and conducted the transaction despite knowing that the name of the occupant in the 7/12 extract of the Mundhwa land was 'Mumbai Sarkar' and without obtaining the necessary government permission. The accused colluded and defrauded the government by not paying the required stamp duty of approximately ₹6 crore. Suspended Sub Registrar Taru helped the accused to carry out this deal, which was eventually cancelled.

The incident gained everyone’s attention when the name of Parth Pawar -- son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar -- came into the scandal last month. Parth Pawar is a majority stakeholder in the Amadea Enterprises LLP. Also accused, Digvijay Patil is his partner and cousin. However, no direct involvement of Pawar could be determined in the case; that's why his name wasn't added as an accused, said police.

After a month-long investigation, Taru was detained at his home in Bhor Tehsil. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Vishal Gaikwad, announcing the arrests, said, “Currently, Pune Police hold the custody of Sheetal Tejwani. We will file in court regarding us securing her custody for questioning, too.”

Taru was produced in front of a judge in Paud Court, who gave him eight days of police custody. A similar case involving Patil and Tejwani is registered at Khadak Police Station (under Pune Police Commissionerate), and in that case, Tejwani was detained by Pune Police on Wednesday. Authorities have not yet arrested Patil in this case.