Charity commissioner orders cancellation of sale deed of Jain Trust property

The development came after construction firm Gokhale Landmarks LLP and the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Digambar Smarak Trust expressed their desire to cancel the sales deed related to the 3.5-acre property in Model Colony that currently houses a boarding and a Jain temple.

Pune: The Maharashtra charity commissioner on Thursday ordered the cancellation of the sale of a prime property in Pune belonging to a Jain trust to a builder amid protests from the community over the past few days. The commissioner has also asked the trust to return ₹230 crore to the developer.

Charity commissioner orders cancellation of sale deed of Jain Trust property

The development came after construction firm Gokhale Landmarks LLP and the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Digambar Smarak Trust expressed their desire to cancel the sales deed related to the 3.5-acre property in Model Colony that currently houses a boarding and a Jain temple.

The charity commissioner revoked its April 2025 order allowing Seth Hirachand Nemchand Digambar Smarak Trust to enter into an agreement with Gokhale Landmarks LLP.

“Gokhale Landmarks LLP and the trustees of SHNST shall take appropriate steps and measures for cancellations of the sale deed and the power of attorney dated October 10, 2025. These measures shall be taken at the earliest. Upon cancellation of the sale deed, the trustees should refund the entire amount of the sale consideration to Gokhale Landmarks,” stated the order.

The property was acquired by Pune-based Gokhale Landmarks LLP earlier this year for ₹311 crore from Seth Hirachand Nemchand Memorial Trust, of which a sum of ₹230 crore was paid, while the remaining amount was for the redevelopment of the hostel. The charity commissioner had, last week, ordered status quo on the transaction. Members of the Jain community had held protests in Pune and other cities in Maharashtra, accusing the trustees of favouring the developer and violating norms governing charitable land while going ahead with the deal.

Vishal Gokhale, chairman and managing director, Gokhale Constructions, said, “Respecting the sentiments of the Jain community, I decided to withdraw from the project. The trustees of Seth Hirachand Nemchand Digambar Jain Boarding Trust also responded positively to the decision. After today’s order of the charity commissioner, the further legal process to cancel the sale deed will be initiated soon.”