Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday that the controversial Pune land deal in which his son was involved has been cancelled. Pawar claimed his son was unaware that the land parcel belonged to the government, and no financial transaction was made over the deal.
"The concerned land is a government land, which cannot be sold. Parth and his partner Digvijay Patil were not aware of this fact. How the registration (of its sale) was done and who is responsible will come out in the probe being headed by Additional Chief Secretary Vikas Kharge, and he will submit his report in a month," Pawar told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Saying "not a rupee had changed hands in the deal", Pawar said an affidavit to cancel the land deal has been submitted to the related authorities. The Nationalist Congress Party leader said the high-level probe team will submit its report in a month.
Ajit Pawar has been facing ire over his son Parth Pawar's alleged undervalued land deal in Pune. Allegedly, Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Parth is a partner, bought 40 acres of land in Pune's upmarket Mundhwa area for Rs 300 crore recently. Allegedly, the 40-acre land parcel belonged to the government and revenue authorities even waived off registration fee of Rs 21 crore over the deal.
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In a statement earlier, the deputy CM said, "I want to make it clear that neither I nor my office made any phone calls, gave any help, or had any role or knowledge about this transaction at any stage." Pawar said the possession of the land has not been taken, and no financial transaction has been made over the deal.
Saying even a suspicion of wrongdoing should not be allowed to emerge in public life, the NCP leader said his son has agreed to cancel the land deal.
Opposition leader alleged that the market value of the land sold to Parth was Rs 1,800 crore. The Maharashtra government also suspended a revenue official over the controversial land deal.
