Just five months ago, the Pune tehsildar had asked the central government from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) to vacate 17.51 hectares or 44 acres of land in Mendhwa that the state had leased to it after a company 99% owned by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son informed his office that it had bought the land.
Benjamin, scientist and head of BSI Pune, told The Indian Express: “We received a letter a few months ago asking us to vacate the land. After receiving the letter, we contacted the Pune collector. He verbally told us that there was no need to worry and that he would look into the matter and do the needful.”
When contacted, Pune Collector Jitendra Dudi confirmed receipt of BSI’s complaint and said that though his office was aware of the eviction notice given to BSI, he was not aware that the sale contract had already been concluded.
The sale contract was signed on May 19, 2025, between Sheetal Tiffany, who held the power of attorney on behalf of the 272 original owners of the 17.51 hectare Watan land belonging to the Mahar (now Scheduled Caste) community and a limited liability partnership company owned by Ajit Pawar’s son, Parth Pawar and Digvijay Patel. Before independence, villages in the state followed the homeland system under which specific castes or families received land rights or revenues rather than cash for certain services.
In fact, in the First Information Report filed by Khadak Police Station in Pune, the city tehsildar Suryakant Yevali on June 9, 2025, wrote to the “Assistant Director in the Deputy Director’s Office” saying that the 17.51 hectare land should be vacated. The FIR did not say to whom Ival had written, but said: “This shows that he is using his power illegally.”
The FIR, based on a complaint filed by Naib Tehsildar Praveena Board in Pune, said the land was purchased “illegally” by Amadia Enterprises, a limited liability company owned by Parth Pawar and Digvijay Patel. The letter says Patel made an “illegal” request to Tehsildar Yevale that Amadea purchased 17.51 hectares of Koregaon land in Survey No. 88 at Mundhwa, Pune city tehsil, from Sheetal Tiffany. In the application, Patil sought physical possession of the land, the FIR said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Thursday announced the formation of an inquiry committee to probe the alleged illegal sale of land, and a day later said no one would be spared. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar told reporters on Friday that the sale contract had been cancelled.
Story continues below this ad
The plot of land, which is at the center of the controversy, was leased to BSI. “We were obviously surprised to receive the letter. But we had confidence because we are under a lease. If the collector asks us to vacate the place, we are obligated to do so, but if he does not, why should we care? We are preserving and conserving some plants, some endangered species,” said Benjamin, who is currently in Delhi.
The Opposition alleged that land worth around Rs 1,800 crore was illegally sold for just Rs 300 crore and the state exchequer was shortchanged with stamp duty to the tune of Rs 21 lakh unpaid.
The BSI website says that the 44 acres at Mundhwa and another 5 acres attached to the head office at 7-Koregaon Road, together house more than 500 plant species, diverse species of plants from the Western Ghats and the West Coast, and several endemic and endangered species. Pune is the headquarters of the Western Regional Center of BSI which was established in 1955 and leads explorations in the biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats.
Dodi, the Collector of Pune, told The Indian Express that the BSI had approached his office in June with a letter from the Tehsildar (Suryakant Yuel) who had asked the central government for an undertaking to hand over the land to the original Wattandars, on the basis of a letter sent by the Wattandars to his office saying that they had paid a sum of DD so they were the rightful owners now.
Story continues below this ad
“On the basis of this letter, the tehsildar immediately wrote to the SDM and asked him to inquire about it, and ensure that this illegal execution did not take place. It was suspended at that time itself. Based on this, we started collecting evidence against the tehsildar and necessary action was suggested against the tehsildar about a month ago. On the basis of this, the tahsildar was suspended yesterday and FIRs were registered in both the cases,” Dodi said.
According to Dodi, power of attorney holder Sheetal Tiffani submitted a letter to his office in December 2024 demanding possession of the land. “The letter claimed that they paid money to our office through DD. We have checked and no such DD has been received. It is important to note that possession of this type of land cannot be transferred at all. Even if there is a type of land that can be transferred, government permission and notification must be obtained first.”
As reported in The Indian Express on Saturday, Maharashtra Joint Registration Inspector General Rajendra Muth said the land belongs to the state government and cannot be sold at any price. “The 12/7 document (land ownership document) showed that the Mumbai Sarkar (former Bombay government) was the owner. The ownership card issued after 2018 showed the same. The person holding the power of attorney cannot sell the land at any price. We are investigating everything and will submit the report within seven days to the state government,” Muth, who is assisting the probe committee, told The Indian Express. His office is responsible for registering title documents and collecting stamp duty.
Dodi had told The Indian Express on Friday that the sale deed was never executed as the land was in possession of the government. When asked if it was the responsibility of the Inspector General of Registration to alert collectors about the sale, he said: “That is what is wrong… They should have taken my permission… but there was no question of giving permission. Even the government cannot give permission.”
(Tags for translation) Mahar Land Controversy
