Pune land case: ‘Office boy’ working with accused Shital Tejwani signed key papers, prosecution tells court

Pune: An “office boy” working with Shital Tejwani, power of attorney (PoA) holder of the controversial Rs 300-crore Pune land deal, had signed key papers acting as a partner of a private firm linked to the case, the prosecution has told a Pune court.

The court on Tuesday extended the police custody of Tejwani till December 27 to enable further investigation in the high-profile case after the prosecution claimed she was not cooperating in the ongoing probe.

Tejwani, who is currently in custody of the Bavdhan police in Pimpri-Chinchwad township, was produced before a court in the Paud area at the end of her previous remand. The court extended her police custody by four more days, said an officer from the Bavdhan police station.

Seeking further police custody, the prosecution told the court probe carried out so far has revealed an “office boy” working with Tejwani had signed documents such as affidavits and authority letters acting as a partner of Amadea Enterprises LLP, the company which bought the government land in Mundhwa in violation of rules.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth is a co-partner in Amadea Enterprises, but he has not been named in the FIR.

The police want to examine these documents to ascertain if there were any financial transactions between the office boy and Tejwani, the prosecution said.

The prosecution further said that the scope of the probe has widened as some RTI activists have submitted new documents related to the land deal to the Bavdhan police station.

Since Tejwani was not cooperating in the ongoing probe, her further interrogation was needed, it said.

Meanwhile, activists Anjali Damania and Vijay Kumbhar wrote to the Pimpri Chinchwad police, demanding that Parth Pawar be also named in the FIR besides Santosh Hingane, the Joint District Registrar, who is a complainant in the case.

The sale of 40 acres of land in the upscale Mundhwa area for Rs 300 crore to Amadea Enterprises came under scrutiny last month after it was found that the plot belongs to the government and could not be sold. The firm was also allegedly exempted from paying Rs 21 crore in stamp duty.

Tejwani, who held PoA for 272 ‘original watandars (owners)’ of the land, allegedly executed the sale deed and sold the property to Amadea Enterprises despite knowing it belonged to the government and could not be sold.

Sub-registrar Ravindra Taru allegedly facilitated the sale deed.

Officials of the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) registered an FIR against Digvijay Patil, a co-partner in Amadea Enterprises, Tejwani and Taru for allegedly evading stamp duty.