Pune land deal: Parth Pawar's firm challenges ₹21 crore stamp duty notice

The ₹300-crore deal to sell the 40-acre land parcel to Amadea Enterprises came under the scanner after it emerged that the land belongs to government, and the firm was exempted from paying stamp duty

A firm of Parth Pawar, son of late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has appealed against the notice issued by the Maharashtra registration department asking to pay stamp duty of Rs 21 crore pertaining to the sale deed of Mundhwa land by February 10, sources said.

The department, in an earlier order, had asked Amadea Enterprises LLP and its partner, Digvijay Patil, to pay the stamp duty, which was waived during the execution of the sale deed for 40-acre government land, by February 10.

"The deadline to pay the stamp duty was February. The firm has filed an appeal challenging the order. Now there will be a hearing before the Inspector General Registration (IGR)," said a senior official from the department on Monday.

The official, however, did not elaborate on the grounds for challenging the original order seeking Rs 21 crore.

Asked what action can be initiated if the stamp duty is not paid, he said that there are set procedures, such as 'revenue recovery', which involves bank account seizure and attachment of immovable property.

The Rs 300-crore deal to sell the 40-acre land parcel to Amadea Enterprises LLP came under the scanner after it emerged that the land belongs to the government, and the firm was exempted from paying the stamp duty.

Shital Tejwani, who held a power of attorney for 272 'original watandars' of the land, executed the sale deed and sold the property to Amadea Enterprises LLP despite knowing that the land belonged to the government and could not be sold. Sub-Registrar, Ravindra Taru, allegedly facilitated the sale deed.

An FIR was registered against Patil, Tejwani and Taru by the officials of the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) for allegedly evading stamp duty.

The district administration also registered a case against Patil, Tejwani and suspended Tehsildar Suryakant Yeole for allegedly executing the sale deed despite knowing that the land belonged to the government. The FIR was registered with the Khadak police station and is currently being probed by the Economic Offence Wing of the Pune police.