After Mundhwa land deal row, Maharashtra makes scrutiny of stamp duty waivers mandatory

According to a new directive issued by Joint Inspector General of Registration Rajendra Muthe, all sub-registrar offices in the state must now forward copies of documents registered in the previous month

In the wake of the controversy surrounding the ₹300-crore Mundhwa land deal linked to Parth Pawar, son of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra Department of Registration and Stamps has tightened its oversight on property transactions where stamp duty is waived or reduced.

The stamp duty collector, in turn, has been instructed to scrutinise these documents by the tenth of every month, ensure that exemptions were granted as per government rules, and initiate action if discrepancies are detected. (FILE)

According to a new directive issued by Joint Inspector General of Registration Rajendra Muthe, all sub-registrar offices in the state must now forward copies of documents registered in the previous month — wherever any stamp duty exemption or concession has been granted — to the stamp duty collector by the fifth of every month.

The stamp duty collector, in turn, has been instructed to scrutinise these documents by the tenth of every month, ensure that exemptions were granted as per government rules, and initiate action if discrepancies are detected.

The move follows allegations that ₹21 crore in stamp duty was waived during the registration of a land sale in Mundhwa, involving Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm associated with Parth. The company, through partner Digvijay Patil, allegedly purchased 40 acres of government-owned land from Shital Tejwani, who held power of attorney for 272 original landowners.

Despite the land being classified as government property and ineligible for sale, the deal was executed and registered by sub-registrar RB Taru, who is now among those booked in an FIR, along with Patil and Tejwani.

After the irregularities surfaced, Ajit announced that the deal had been cancelled. However, the Registration and Stamps Department has since issued a notice to Amadea Enterprises LLP, directing the firm to pay double the stamp duty — around ₹42 crore — before the deed can be officially cancelled.

The department’s latest order is seen as a step to prevent similar irregularities in property transactions involving stamp duty concessions.