Revenue Minister to Investigate Rs 42 Crore Stamp Duty Notice Issued to Amadea Enterprises

Pune: State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said the Mundhwa land belonged to the government and he would seek clarification from the inspector general of registration (IGR) on why a Rs 42 crore stamp duty notice was issued to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm linked to deputy CM Ajit Pawar's son Parth.

On November 7, the IGR served a notice to Digvijay Patil, Parth's cousin and partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP, directing the payment of full stamp duty and a penalty, totaling Rs 42 crore. Bawankule, however, questioned why his own department issued such a notice when the transaction itself was invalid. “The Mundhwa land belongs to the government, so the deal stands cancelled. I will ask the IGR for details on what basis the Rs 42 crore notice was issued when the deal itself is void,” Bawankule told reporters in Pune.

He said since the land was government-owned, its 7/12 extract was locked, but yet a property card was still prepared. “The inquiry committee will now investigate who was involved in pushing this deal forward. Those who forged documents to proceed with the transaction will face action,” Bawankule said.

Bawankule's statement followed allegations of loopholes in the transaction by activist Anjali Damania, who also sought Ajit Pawar's resignation over the irregularities. Incidentally, Damania met Bawankule in Mumbai on Tuesday. “During our meeting, I told her to present her side before the inquiry committee. I also told her that if she has any documents, she can submit them to the committee, to which she agreed.”

Officials involved in the paperwork related to the deal have been suspended, and cases have been registered against them. If during the inquiry, we find involvement of more officials in the case, they will be terminated from service too, the minister said.

On NCP (SP) working president and Baramati MP Supriya Sule's objection to accused in the Tuljapur drug case joining BJP, Bawankule said, “A person can only be called a criminal after conviction by a court. If an FIR is registered but the individual has not been convicted, s/he has the same right as others to work in a political party.”