Pune Court Rejects Bail in High-Value Land Scam Case, Details Manipulation of Records
In a significant development, the court of additional sessions judge DP Ragit in Pune has rejected the bail application of suspended sub registrar Ravindra Taru, citing his active role in facilitating a major offence to conceal real information during the registration of a disputed land sale deed. The order, dated February 16, highlights serious allegations of revenue loss to the state exchequer.
Court Observations on Taru's Alleged Misconduct
The judge referred to the police chargesheet, noting that an office staffer had alerted Taru that the 7/12 extract for the Mundhwa land parcel was "closed," which should have halted the registration process. However, the court observed that Taru allegedly instructed a data operator to select the option 'movable' instead of 'agricultural land' in the I-Sarita computer system of the revenue department. This manipulation was done without collecting the requisite stamp duty of Rs 20,99,99,500 for immovable property.
"This way, Taru facilitated the commission of offence to hide the real information and caused revenue loss to the state exchequer by not collecting the stamp duty," the court stated emphatically. It further emphasized that as a sub registrar, Taru was duty-bound to verify document accuracy and ensure proper stamp duty collection for the registration of the disputed sale deed.
Background of the Controversial Land Deal
The case revolves around a 40-acre government land parcel in Mundhwa, originally held by 272 watandars before the government took it over following the abolition of the Mahar Watan system in 1955. This land was subsequently leased to the Botanical Society of India until 2038. The disputed sale deed was executed by Tejwani, who claims to hold a power-of-attorney on behalf of the original land holders, in favor of Amadea Enterprises LLP.
Amadea Enterprises LLP, where late Ajit Pawar's son Parth is a partner, intended to set up a data center, with the deal declared at a consideration of Rs 300 crore. Taru is accused of colluding with Tejwani and Digvijay Patil, another partner of Amadea and a signatory to the sale deed, to waive a 7% stamp duty amounting to Rs 21 crore. This was done despite the land being recorded as owned by 'Mumbai Sarkar' (government) in revenue records.
Court's Stance on Other Accused and Overall Case
Regarding Tejwani's bail plea, the court noted that the investigating officer reported seven similar crimes of cheating, breach of trust, and forgery registered against her at various police stations. The court expressed concern that if released on bail, Tejwani might tamper with prosecution evidence, and merely being a woman was not sufficient grounds for bail.
In a common observation for both orders, the court stated, "Looking to the active role and involvement of applicant, serious nature of offences relating to the government land involving the sale transactions of Rs 300 crore and non-payment of stamp duty of Rs 21 crore and facts and circumstance of the case, applicant is not entitled to be released on bail, at this juncture."
The FIR in this case was registered on November 6, 2025, by the Bavdhan police based on a complaint by joint district registrar and stamp duty collector Santosh Hingane. Notably, Parth Pawar has not been named in the FIR, but the investigation continues to unfold the layers of this complex scam.
