PUNE, 7 NOV. The continuous chain of land scams emerging in Pune city shows no sign of stopping. Now, a criminal case has been registered at the Khadak Police Station regarding the misappropriation of land owned by the state's Agriculture Department. Tehsildar Suryakant Yewale, Sheetal Tejwani, and Digvijay Patil, among others, have been accused of illegally occupying government land. This complaint was lodged by Naib Tehsildar Pravina Chavan.

The named accused in the case include Tehsildar Suryakant Yewale, Hemant Gawande, Rajendra Vidhwans, Hrishikesh Vidhwans, Mangal Vidhwans, Vidyanand Puranik, Jaishree Ekbote, Sheetal Kishan Chand Tejwani, and Digvijay Amar Singh Patil. The incident is reported to have occurred between February 12, 2024, and July 1, 2025. According to the police, approximately 9 hectares of land in the Bopodi area have been in the possession and use of the Agriculture Department since 1883. This land is government property, and the name of the Agriculture Department is registered as its owner and occupant. The accused allegedly misappropriated this land despite clear orders from senior officials.

Even though the Mumbai Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948, is not applicable in Pune city, the accused allegedly attempted to grab the land by disregarding this law. It is alleged that Hemant Gawande, Rajendra Ramchandra Vidhwans, Hrishikesh Madhav Vidhwans, Mangal Madhav Vidhwans, Vidyanand Avinash Puranik, Jaishree Sanjay Ekbote, Sheetal Kishan Chand Tejwani, and Digvijay Amar Singh Patil (Director of M/s Amedia Enterprises LLP), in collusion with the directors of Vision Property Company, hatched an organized conspiracy and tried to claim ownership of the government land. The accused are also charged with cheating the government by preparing fake orders and letters. Despite clear instructions from the Agriculture Department, a decision was made to hand over the said land to Vision Property. This led to the exposure of the case involving illegal occupation and misappropriation of government land. The police have registered a case and initiated an investigation. There is a demand for strict measures to be taken for the protection of Agriculture Department lands. Previously, collusion between officials and private individuals has been exposed in similar cases, and the investigation is likely to reveal further shocking disclosures.

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