Congress says Mundhwa land deal a ‘planned conspiracy’, asks CM Fadnavis to file criminal case

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar demands a criminal case against officials over a ₹300-crore land deal in Pune, alleging illegal government land transfer.

MUMBAI: Congress legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Saturday urged chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to file a criminal case against all officials and private parties involved in the controversial ₹300-crore Mundhwa land deal in Pune, alleging that the transaction was an orchestrated attempt to usurp government land. The plot is linked to Amedea Enterprises LLP, a firm associated with 35-year-old Parth Pawar, son of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

Congress says Mundhwa land deal a ‘planned conspiracy’, asks CM Fadnavis to file criminal case

In a letter to Fadnavis, Wadettiwar claimed that government land in Mundhwa, originally leased to the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), was illegally transferred through a coordinated effort between private individuals and government officials. He alleged that the entire process was “a planned conspiracy to occupy the land through an official route”.

According to him, the land in question had been leased on October 24, 1973, to BSI for 15 years at an annual rent of ₹1, and later extended until March 31, 2038. Despite this, on December 30, 2024, one Sheetal Tejwani allegedly deposited just ₹11,000, with interest, as “land holding value” at the district collector’s office. Wadettiwar said this amount was accepted without any formal approval from either the tehsildar or district collector, and without adherence to legal procedure.

He further pointed out that the sale deed, registered on May 20, 2025, lacked basic documentation, including proof of ownership, assessment of market value, and stamp duty details. Instead of using City Survey property records, officials registered the document solely on outdated 7/12 extracts, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of the process.

“This is not merely an administrative lapse,” Wadettiwar wrote. “It is a deliberate conspiracy involving illegal transactions of government land worth hundreds of crores. A criminal case must be filed against all those involved.” He added that the government-appointed committee and district collector had roles that needed scrutiny, and called for an independent probe panel.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has distanced his son from the controversy, insisting that Parth was unaware of the land’s legal status. He has said the inquiry panel led by additional chief secretary (revenue) Vikas Kharge, constituted by CM Fadnavis, would establish the facts.