In a significant development in the alleged Rs 300 crore government land fraud case in Pune, the Bavdhan police on Sunday arrested suspended sub-registrar Ravindra Balkrushna Taru. The 58-year-old official is accused of committing "gross irregularity" by registering a controversial sale deed for a prime 40-acre government land parcel in Mundhwa, causing a substantial loss to the state exchequer in stamp duty.
The Core Allegations and Key Players
The arrest centres on the registration of a sale deed between Amadea Enterprises LLP and power of attorney holder Sheetal Tejwani in May this year. The deal was valued at a declared consideration of Rs 300 crore for the land, which is currently occupied by the Botanical Survey of India on a lease lasting until 2038. Notably, Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is one of the two partners in Amadea Enterprises LLP, though he has not been named in the First Information Report (FIR).
The other partner, Digvijay Amarsinh Patil, along with Tejwani and Taru, are named in the FIR. They face charges under sections 316(5) for criminal breach of trust, 318(4) for cheating, and 3(5) for common intention of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Amadea had intended to build a data centre on this land, which was originally a Mahar Watan property before the government took possession.
How the Illegal Registration Was Executed
This marks the first arrest by the Pimpri Chinchwad police in the Bavdhan case. Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishal Gaikwad stated that Taru was arrested from his residence in Bhor because he headed the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) sub-registrar office Haveli IV, which processed the dubious sale deed.
A preliminary inquiry revealed shocking lapses. The 7/12 extract attached to the sale deed clearly mentioned the "Government of Maharashtra" as the landowner, with the entry marked as "closed." Despite this, Taru registered the document without obtaining the mandatory permission or a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the competent authority.
Furthermore, the registration caused a massive loss in stamp duty revenue. As per the Maharashtra Stamp Act, the duty on a Rs 300 crore transaction should be 5% plus 1% local body tax and 1% metro cess, totalling approximately Rs 21 crore. However, the deed was registered after collecting a mere token stamp duty of Rs 500. Taru's suspension order cited an industrial concession, but even if admissible, the local body tax and metro cess (around Rs 6 crore) were not exempt, indicating a prima facie loss.
Interlinked Investigations and Ongoing Probe
This case is closely linked to another investigation by the Pune police. Sheetal Tejwani, the PoA holder, was arrested on December 4 by Pune police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in a separate case involving an attempt to get the same land re-granted using allegedly forged documents and illegal orders by suspended tehsildar Suryakant Yeole.
Tejwani is currently in the custody of Pune police. DCP Gaikwad confirmed that the Bavdhan police have secured a production warrant for her and will seek her custody once her remand in the Pune case concludes. Meanwhile, Amadea partner Digvijay Patil has assured the Pune EOW that he will present himself for questioning on December 10.
The case came to light after the IGR office suspended Taru on November 6 for the gross irregularities. The same night, a formal complaint was lodged with Bavdhan police by joint district registrar and stamp duty collector Santosh Hingane, leading to the current arrest and deepening probe into this high-stakes land scandal.
