Sub-registrar Ravindra Taru, who was suspended over alleged irregularities in the Mundhwa land deal in Pune, was arrested on Sunday by the Pimpri Chinchwad Police, an official said. The case concerns the fraudulent sale of a 40-acre government-owned plot to a private firm in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son, Parth Pawar, is a partner.
"A case was lodged against Ravindra Balkrushna Taru on the complaint of Joint District Registrar Santosh Hingane at Bavdhan police station. He was arrested today," Pimpri Chinchwad Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishal Gaikwad said.
Taru used skip option in e-mutation process to register sale deed
An inquiry report submitted by a committee led by Rajendra Muthe, Joint Inspector General of Registration (IGR), has revealed that suspended sub-registrar Taru (58) processed the controversial Mundhwa land sale by exploiting a major loophole in the registration system.
According to the report, Taru used the "skip" option in the e-mutation process to register the sale deed on May 19, categorising the 40-acre government land as "movable property". This allowed him to bypass mandatory verification checks required for transactions involving government land.
Police said the land was illegally sold for Rs 300 crore to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son, Parth Pawar, is a partner. The plot's market value is estimated at Rs 1,800 crore.
"Sub-registrar Taru failed to verify this crucial fact, thereby violating Section 18 of the Registration Act 1908. This section explicitly requires registrars to verify ownership status before registering any property transaction, particularly when government land is involved," the investigation report said.
The report also names Digvijay Patil of Amadea Enterprises LLP and Shital Tejwani, who acted as the power of attorney holder and executed the sale. Tejwani has already been arrested.
Taru's arrest comes just a day before the Maharashtra Legislature’s Winter Session begins in Nagpur.
About the case
The case concerns the sale of 40 acres in Pune’s Mundhwa area to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a company in which Parth is a partner. The land was later found to be government property and therefore not eligible for sale. The firm was also granted a stamp duty waiver of Rs 21 crore, which led to further scrutiny.
The report names Digvijay Patil, Parth Pawar’s cousin and business partner, and Sheetal Tejwani, who held power of attorney for the land sellers. Both, along with another accused, Ravindra Taru, have already been booked by the Pune Police in the related FIR.
Also Read: Ajit Pawar's son Parth not named in Muthe committee's Rs 300 crore Pune land deal scam case
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