PUNE, 3 DEC. Pune Police have made a significant move in the notorious 40-acre land scam near Mundhwa, Koregaon Park, by arresting Sheetal Tejwani immediately after the conclusion of local body elections. Tejwani faces serious allegations of using Power of Attorney and forged documents to illegally seize the land.
The case has escalated political tension as the land transaction is directly linked to a company associated with Parth Pawar, son of Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar. The investigation, which had slowed down during the local elections, has now gained momentum, with police actively probing the entire network connected to the scam.
Allegations of Fraud and Revenue Loss
Pune Police had previously interrogated Sheetal Tejwani. Sources indicate that during the investigation, several crucial facts and documents emerged, confirming her direct involvement, which led to her arrest.
The scam came to light when an attempt was made to illegally transfer government and 'watan' land (hereditary service land) located near Koregaon Park to private individuals. Investigations revealed that forged documents were created to conceal the land's original ownership. It is alleged that despite the land's actual worth being in crores, it was transacted at a significantly lower price based on fraudulent paperwork, resulting in a substantial loss of government revenue.
Special Exemption Under the Pretext of IT Park
Digvijay Singh Patil, a partner in Parth Pawar’s company, Amedia Enterprises, purchased the 40-acre land belonging to the Botanical Survey of India in Mundhwa, reportedly for around ₹300 crore, through Sheetal Tejwani. The purchase was justified by claiming the area would be developed as an IT Park, and a Letter of Intent (LOI) was obtained from the Directorate of Industries on this basis.
As IT Park projects are incentivized, they are eligible for exemptions on Stamp Duty. Typically, 7% stamp duty is applicable, with up to a 5% exemption available. However, the company was granted a full exemption of the entire 7%—amounting to approximately ₹21 crore—at the time of registration.
Investigation Timeline
The timeline of the police action is noteworthy:
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November 6: An FIR was registered against Sheetal Tejwani after the scam became public.
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November 6–14: The police remained inactive for nine days following the registration of the case.
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November 14: The police issued a notice to Sheetal Tejwani.
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November 18: After her plea was rejected by the High Court, Sheetal appeared before the Pune Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for investigation.
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November 20: Dissatisfied with her answers, authorities summoned her again.
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December 3: In a major action, Sheetal Tejwani was finally arrested.
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