Suspended Pune tehsildar being probed for fake disability certificate claim

Suspended Pune tehsildar Suryakant Yeole faces investigation for allegedly using a fake disability certificate for a government job amid a controversial land deal.

MUMBAI: Suspended Pune tehsildar, Suryakant Yeole, who allegedly facilitated the controversial Mundhwa land deal involving Parth Pawar, is now being investigated for allegedly submitting a fake disability certificate to secure a government job.

Suspended Pune tehsildar being probed for fake disability certificate claim

The state Divyang Welfare Department (DWD), which initiated the inquiry on Wednesday, has asked the state revenue department to verify the disability certificate submitted by Yeole, and the validity of his appointment to a government job.

The inquiry into Yeole’s appointment comes after the much-publicised case of IAS trainee Pooja Khedkar, who had misused disability and OBC certificates to take the UPSC exam in Maharashtra a couple of years ago. After the case made headline news, the DWD received complaints that over 300 government employees had used fake disability certificates to avail benefits under government quotas.

In response, in September, the DWD launched a drive to verify the divyang (differently abled) certificates of employees in various state departments, and has asked the departments to submit reports.

Against this backdrop, there were claims on Wednesday that Yeole had used a fake disability certificate, claiming he was hearing impaired, to get selected for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exam.

Taking suo moto cognisance of the allegation, DWD secretary Tukaram Mundhe wrote to the revenue department and asked the latter to verify Yeole’s disability claim. Mundhe said, “We have sent a letter to the revenue department today and asked for verification, and to take action if found guilty and send a report.”

Meanwhile, Yeole is being investigated for allegedly assisting Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm linked to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s son Parth, get control of a 40-acre government-owned land parcel in Pune. The land, being government owned, cannot be transferred or sold to a private entity. In spite of this, it was transferred to Amadea Enterprises, in which Parth owns the majority stake.