Sheetal Tejwani: Prime Accused in Mundhwa Mahar Watan Land Deal Scandal

Sheetal Kishanchand Tejwani, a businesswoman and one of the accused in the Mundhwa Mahar Watan Land Deal, is currently in the spotlight over alleged shady land dealings involving multiple high-profile names, including Parth Pawar, son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Tejwani was arrested on Wednesday by the Pune City Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with the Mundhwa case. This is the first arrest in the high-profile land scam.

In the Mundhwa land deal, Tejwani was the central figure as the Power of Attorney (PoA) holder for the approximately 40- to 43-acre government-owned land parcel (Mahar Watan Land), which is currently leased to the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). The land cannot legally be sold without government clearance. She is accused of conspiring to execute the sale deed of the land, allegedly valued at around ₹1,800 crore, to Amadea Enterprises LLP for ₹300 crore with a nominal stamp duty, causing a financial loss to the state. Parth Ajit Pawar is a partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP.

Tejwani, along with Digvijay Amar Singh Patil (a partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP) and now-suspended Sub-Registrar Ravindra Taaru, was initially booked in one case for illegally evading stamp duty at Bavdhan Police Station. She is also an accused in a second case (registered at Khadak Police Station) concerning alleged irregularities in both the Mundhwa and a Bopodi land parcel, which also names suspended Tehsildar Suryakant Yeole.

Sheetal Kishanchand Tejwani (44, Shivajinagar) is a Pune-based businesswoman primarily dealing in real estate and infrastructure. She has a history of financial crime allegations, including the Seva Vikas Cooperative Bank Scam in Pimpri-Chinchwad. She is married to Sagar Suryawanshi, who was also a main accused in the Seva Bank Scam and was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2023 in connection with that case. While Tejwani had been previously reported as absconding, the Pune EOW arrested her on Wednesday after gathering evidence and questioning her multiple times. The police are continuing to examine financial trails and the roles of all individuals involved.

Police officials said that Tejwani was arrested after she was called multiple times for interrogation. The arrest is a significant development in the ongoing investigation, and authorities are working to uncover the full extent of the alleged fraud and the involvement of other key players.