Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Friday announced that a contentious land transaction in Pune, valued at approximately ₹300 crore and linked to his son Parth Pawar, has been annulled. The decision follows rising scrutiny over the ownership of a 40-acre plot in the city’s Mundhwa area, where documents suggested that the land in question was in fact government property and therefore could not have been legally sold. Pawar, responding to mounting political pressure and public criticism, stated that his son and his business partner were unaware of the land’s government status at the time of purchase and supported a full inquiry into how such a sale was registered.

Speaking to reporters, Pawar clarified that the state government had initiated an impartial investigation into the land deal to determine who was responsible for registering government land under a private sale. He said the probe will be headed by additional chief secretary Vikas Kharge, and a report is expected within a month. Pawar emphasised that he had no objection to a thorough and transparent inquiry and reiterated that both Parth and his associate, businessman Digvijay Patil, were ostensibly misled during the process. According to Pawar, neither had any information that the plot purchased by their company legally belonged to the state.

The controversy centres on a high-value deal executed on May 20, 2025, for a 40-acre tract situated in Mundhwa, not far from the upscale Koregaon Park area. The land was purchased by Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Parth Pawar is a partner. Documents reviewed earlier by the media revealed several irregularities, prompting questions about whether procedural norms were bypassed to facilitate the deal. Among the most prominent concerns was the extraordinary waiver of stamp duty. According to records, the transaction attracted a stamp duty of approximately ₹21 crore, but the fee was fully waived, and the land was registered for a token amount of ₹500. This has been an important point of contention, raising suspicions of undue influence or misuse of authority to benefit private individuals.

The state government moved quickly in response to the allegations. On Thursday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a formal investigation into the purported irregularities. The government subsequently suspended a sub-registrar believed to have played a key role in the registration of the land. A first information report (FIR) was also registered, naming Parth Pawar’s business partner, the suspended sub-registrar, and the power of attorney holder associated with the sale. The FIR includes allegations of misappropriation, cheating in stamp duty, and manipulation of property records. Pawar himself has not been named in the FIR, but the involvement of his son has created significant political embarrassment for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction he leads and has revived criticism from previous controversies.

Documents accessed during the investigation reveal that the Mundhwa plot, originally government land, was transferred into the names of private individuals before being sold to Amadea Enterprises. This series of transactions has raised questions about how government land was moved into private ownership without detection or intervention by authorities. It remains unclear whether the individuals listed as prior owners knowingly participated in fraudulent activity or whether the process was manipulated by intermediaries and officials with access to property records. One of the anomalies highlighted in media reports is that the address of Amadea Enterprises matches Parth Pawar’s residential address in Pune’s Yawant Nagar, underscoring his direct connection to the deal.

The case has taken on heightened political significance not only because of Ajit Pawar’s senior position in the Maharashtra government but also due to the timing of the incident, particularly when the state leadership has been under sustained scrutiny over past allegations involving land, irrigation contracts and urban development permissions. Pawar himself has faced criticism in earlier years, especially during the irrigation scam controversy, making the present incident especially sensitive. Opponents have accused the deputy chief minister of enabling an environment where irregularities can occur, although no evidence directly implicating him has surfaced in this case.

In defending his son, Pawar maintained that Parth entered the transaction in good faith and relied on documentation provided by sellers and intermediaries. He insisted that both Parth and Digvijay Patil acted with no intention of wrongdoing and that any procedural lapses must be scrutinised objectively. He welcomed the ongoing probe and said it would establish the actual chain of events, including how the registration process bypassed safeguards that normally prevent the sale of government-owned property.

The investigation led by ACS Vikas Kharge will examine the administrative processes, approvals, and verifications that preceded the registration of the sale. Particular attention will be given to the role of the suspended sub-registrar, whose office authorised the registration and stamp duty waiver. Government land is typically accompanied by clear records marking it as ineligible for sale, raising questions about whether documents were forged, suppressed, or overlooked during the transaction. The inquiry will also assess the involvement of any other government officials and private parties who may have enabled the transfer.

Meanwhile, political reactions have been swift. Opposition leaders have accused the Pawar faction of engaging in questionable land deals and have demanded accountability not just at the administrative level but also within the political hierarchy. They argue that such transactions highlight systemic weaknesses in land governance in Maharashtra, particularly in metropolitan regions like Pune where land values are high and pressure on urban land is significant. They further allege that irregularities frequently go undetected until high-profile cases such as this one draw public scrutiny.

On his part, Ajit Pawar maintained that governance must remain transparent and accountable. He framed the incident as a matter for legal and administrative investigation and asserted that he would not intervene in favour of any individual, including his own family members, if wrongdoings were established. Pawar’s statement emphasised that government land cannot be sold under any circumstances and that the foundation of the probe is to identify how procedural safeguards failed.

As the inquiry is set to proceed, several questions remain unanswered: how was the land initially transferred from government ownership into private hands; who authorised the change in records; how was stamp duty waived despite high land valuation; and what role, if any, did intermediaries or officials play in facilitating the process. The one-month deadline for the probe’s completion indicates the urgency with which the government views the matter, given its political sensitivity and implications for public trust in the administration.

The controversy underscores the complex nature of land governance in urban Maharashtra, where overlapping records, legacy entries, and administrative gaps often create opportunities for irregular transactions. As the probe unfolds, its findings will not only determine accountability in this particular case but may also influence policy and procedural reforms aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.