Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 7 : In a fresh development in the multi-crore land scam linked to Mundhwa in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad Police on Sunday arrested suspended Sub-Registrar Ravindra Balkrishna Taru from Bhor town in Pune district.
The action comes in connection with an FIR registered at Bavdhan Police Station under the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate's jurisdiction.
Police said Taru's arrest is related to alleged irregularities in the registration of a high-value land transaction involving Amadea Enterprises LLP.
Amadea Enterprises LLP came under the scanner after several irregularities were reported in a sale deal for a 43-acre government-owned plot in the Mundhwa area of Pune City, Maharashtra. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son, Parth Pawar and another individual, Digvijay Singh Patil, are Partners in the firm.
A complaint was filed last month by Deputy District Registrar Santosh Ashok Hingane, who accused the suspects of evading stamp duty worth nearly Rs. 6 crores during the registration of a sale deed for land in Survey No. 88, Mundhwa.
According to the FIR, Taru, along with co-accused Sheetal Kishanchand Tejwani and Digvijay Amarsingh Patil, allegedly conspired to undervalue the land and manipulate official records during the registration process.
Last week, EOW of Pune City Police arrested builder Sheetal Kishanchand Tejwani after investigators stated that "enough evidence" had emerged linking her to the fraudulent transaction. Police officials had said Tejwani purchased the land "through improper means," and further arrests would follow as more names surfaced in the probe.
Tejwani was booked under charges related to cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and violations under the Maharashtra Stamp Act. She was produced before a local court and sent to Police custody till 11 December.
After the whole land scam expose, a case was registered at Khadak Police Station on November 7 and transferred to EOW for further probe. Property, allegedly valued at up to 1,800 crore rupees, was sold to a company linked to Parth Pawar for just Rs 300 crore, with a nominal stamp duty of only Rs 500, allegedly bypassing proper procedures for government-linked land.
The land in question, approximately 43 acres of government-owned land currently on lease to the Botanical Survey of India, was reportedly sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Parth Pawar is a partner.