High Court queries prompt more rigorous probe into Parth Pawar land deal
After repeated judicial queries from the Bombay High Court, Maharashtra's Director General of Police has ordered a "more professional and detailed investigation" into a Rs 300 crore land deal involving Rajya Sabha MP and NCP leader Parth Pawar. The High Court's intervention came after questioning why Pawar, who holds a 99 per cent stake in Amadea Enterprises LLP—the firm that purchased the land—has not been named as an accused, despite only his 1 per cent partner being charged.
The case centers on the alleged illegal sale of 40 acres of Mahar Watan land in Mundhwa, near Koregaon Park, which was leased to the Botanical Survey of India. The land, reportedly worth around Rs 1,800 crore, was allegedly sold to Amadea for Rs 300 crore in May 2025 without mandatory state approval, along with a stamp duty waiver of Rs 21 crore. While the investigating officer previously found "no evidence" of Pawar's complicity, and a state-appointed committee led by IAS officer Vikas Kharage found no material evidence of direct wrongdoing by him, the High Court pressed the state on whether Pawar benefited from the transaction.
Chargesheets filed in January and April named Pawar's 1 per cent partner Digvijay Patil and businessperson Sheetal Tejwani, who allegedly held power of attorney for 272 watandars. Justice Madhav J Jamdar questioned whether police were protecting Pawar due to his influence, prompting the DGP's directive for a more rigorous investigative approach.
