Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday defended his son Parth Pawar over allegations of irregularities in a ₹300-crore land deal in Pune, asserting that the purchase was made “unknowingly” on government-owned land and that no money or possession had exchanged hands before the transaction was cancelled.
The controversy involves a 40-acre plot in Pune’s Mundhwa area, allegedly sold to Amedea Enterprises, a firm linked to Parth, for ₹300 crore despite the land’s estimated market value being around ₹1,800 crore. Opposition leaders accused the Pawar family of misusing political influence and undervaluing government property in the sale.
Responding to the charges, Ajit Pawar said the matter was under investigation by a government-appointed committee, which would submit its findings within a month. He maintained that the deal was cancelled immediately after it was discovered that the land was government-owned and could not be sold.
“The registration of the documents has been cancelled, and affidavits have been filed confirming this. Not a single rupee has changed hands. The land belongs to the government, and Parth and his business partner were unaware of that fact,” Pawar said.
He further clarified that the agreement was only a preliminary understanding and that neither payment nor possession took place. “The transaction was incomplete. How the registration occurred and who was responsible will be determined by the ongoing inquiry headed by Additional Chief Secretary Vikas Kharge,” Pawar said, denying any attempt to influence the land transfer process.
The state government’s Revenue Department had earlier flagged procedural lapses in an interim report, prompting a full-fledged investigation into possible irregularities. Following the findings, an FIR was registered against three individuals, including Parth’s business partner, Digvijay Patil, and a suspended sub-registrar, on charges of cheating, misappropriation, and stamp duty evasion.
Pawar emphasised that his son had not been named in the FIR since he had not visited the registrar’s office or signed any related documents. “Only three people were present at the time of registration, and their names are in the FIR. My son’s role was limited to being a business partner; no illegality has been proven against him,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister added that he had directed officials to examine any other land transactions involving his relatives and cancel them immediately if any irregularities were found.
Amid growing political heat, Ajit Pawar held multiple meetings on Friday, including consultations with Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare at his Devgiri residence, followed by a discussion with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Varsha Bungalow, in an effort to contain the fallout.
While Sharad Pawar, chief of the rival NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), supported a full probe into the deal, he maintained that the Chief Minister should make the findings public. The case has now evolved into a high-stakes political issue, testing the credibility of both Ajit Pawar and the ruling Mahayuti alliance, as the investigation proceeds under close public and political scrutiny.
