On November 6, 2025, the Maharashtra government took swift action in response to a controversial land deal allegedly involving Parth Pawar, the son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The deal, reportedly worth ₹300 crore, has raised serious questions about legality and transparency, prompting the state government to order a high-level inquiry, suspend two officials, and lodge a police complaint. Opposition parties have demanded an independent judicial probe to unravel the full extent of the alleged irregularities.
The controversy centers around a transaction involving 16.19 hectares of government land, which was sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a company in which Parth Pawar is a partner. Government sources disclosed that while the market value of the land was estimated between ₹1600 crore and ₹1800 crore, the sale price was a mere ₹300 crore. This significant discrepancy has sparked accusations of undervaluation and possible favoritism.
In response to the unfolding scandal, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed an inquiry into the matter, assigning Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department, Vikas Kharge, to lead the investigation. The inquiry’s mandate is to determine whether the land was government or reservation land, assess the legality of the transaction, and verify if proper procedures were followed. “Prima facie, the issue seems serious; however, I still don’t have complete information,” Fadnavis stated, emphasizing that any irregularities uncovered would result in strict action. He also mentioned that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar does not support any wrongdoing.
Alongside the inquiry, two government officials directly involved in the transaction were suspended. Suryakant Yewale, the tehsildar, and R.B. Taru, the sub-registrar, have been removed from their positions pending further investigation. The suspension of the sub-registrar is particularly significant because the land deal was registered with a stamp duty of only ₹500, whereas it should have attracted a duty of approximately ₹21 crore based on the transaction’s declared value. This irregularity has caused a substantial loss to the state exchequer.
Documents obtained by The Hindu reveal troubling details about the registration process. Despite an apparent waiver, the government should have received at least ₹6 crore in stamp duty from the deal. The suspension order for Mr. Taru cites “serious irregularities and loss of revenue” as reasons for disciplinary action. Additionally, the Joint Registrar has filed a police complaint at the Bawdhan Police Station in Pimpri Chinchwad, and an FIR is being registered against three individuals suspected of colluding to defraud the state.
District Collector of Pune, Jitendra Dudi, highlighted that the land involved is government property and should not have been sold without proper authorization. He condemned the transaction, noting that it was carried out without the knowledge or approval of the Revenue Department. “Strict action will be taken against the officers who failed to check the details of the deal,” Dudi asserted.
Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister and father of Parth Pawar, publicly distanced himself from the transaction. He stated that he was not directly involved but had become aware of the issue a few months ago. “I clearly instructed that I won’t tolerate anything unlawful, and no one should do this. I don’t know what happened thereafter,” he said, signaling his disapproval of any potential wrongdoing.
Critics and activists have been quick to question the preferential treatment allegedly afforded to Parth Pawar. Pune-based RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar pointed out the stark contrast between the hefty stamp duty paid by ordinary citizens and the minimal charges applied in this case. “When a common man buys a small flat, he pays lakhs in stamp duty. Then how do the ultra-rich get ‘special exemptions’ on crores worth of land? One rule for the powerful, another for the people?” Kumbhar remarked, suggesting that the buyer’s political connections may have influenced the deal.
The opposition parties have seized on the controversy to demand a judicial inquiry, calling for an independent and transparent investigation that goes beyond the state government’s internal probe.
In a show of support for Parth Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Samajwadi Party (SP) Member of Parliament Supriya Sule, who is also Parth’s aunt, expressed trust in him and questioned the clarity of the situation. “Everything is confusing… who is running the government? Who