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After Mundhwa, Tathawade land cases, Pune collectorate issues notices in 343 deosthan, watan land lease violations
“Wherever violations of lease conditions or illegal transfers are found, strict action will follow as per law. Public land cannot be allowed to be misused, and accountability will be fixed at every level,” said Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi.
PUNE: Against the backdrop of land-related irregularities in Mundhwa and Tathawade, the district collectorate in Pune has issued notices in 343 cases involving deosthan (endowment) and watan lands allotted on a lease basis, officials said. The notices were issued over the past two weeks, starting February 1.
Officials said the action followed the detection of multiple violations of lease conditions, including change of land use from residential to commercial purposes, sub-letting of properties for rental income, induction of new members beyond the original allottees, and failure to utilise land within the stipulated period. Several cases of unauthorised constructions and deviations from approved plans have also been flagged.
“We have initiated a comprehensive verification of all leased deosthan and watan lands across the district. Wherever violations of lease conditions or illegal transfers are found, strict action will follow as per law. Public land cannot be allowed to be misused, and accountability will be fixed at every level,” said Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi.
Revenue department officials said the drive was intensified after irregularities came to light in land transactions in Mundhwa and Tathawade, prompting a district-wide audit of leased government lands. The notices seek explanations and compliance within prescribed timelines, failing which lease cancellations, recovery proceedings and further legal action may follow.
The administration said the exercise aims to safeguard public land, ensure that allotments are used strictly for their intended purpose, and deter misuse under the cover of long-term leases.
The Mundhwa controversy surfaced in November 2025 and involved alleged manipulation of records related to a nearly 40-acre government-owned Mahar Watan land parcel currently leased to the Botanical Survey of India. Sheetal Tejwani, who was the power of attorney holder for the land, and another accused were alleged to have illegally transferred ownership rights to a private company. Though Parth Pawar, a partner in Amedia, has figured in the background of the case, he has not been named in the FIR or the chargesheet.
In a separate case, the Maharashtra animal husbandry department in November lodged an FIR against 26 persons, including the acting joint sub-registrar (Class II), Haveli-17, over the alleged illegal sale of a 6.32-hectare (15-acre 32-guntha) government plot in Tathawade near Wakad. The land, valued at nearly ₹750 crore, was allegedly transferred through a private deal for just ₹33 crore, despite being classified as non-transferable government property that requires prior state approval for any sale.
Officials said that although e-mutation and i-Sarita - computer-based systems linked to land registration - are designed to prevent such transactions, certain functionaries are suspected to have evolved methods to bypass mandatory scrutiny.
Following these transactions, district collector Jitendra Dudi sought a detailed report and ordered verification of government land records across all 13 talukas. In the first phase of scrutiny, 343 violations were identified.
The state government has around 2,000 such properties under its custody. The ongoing inquiry covers large land parcels allotted to prominent educational institutions and political figures that are currently under scrutiny. There is also a provision for the government to immediately resume possession of lands found to have been illegally sold or registered.
