Pune, Feb 10 (PTI) A court here on Tuesday rejected the bail application of Shital Tejwani, an accused in the Mundhwa land deal case, stating that it involves serious economic offences causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.
Additional Sessions Judge B V Wagh also noted the applicant’s prima facie involvement in the “elite scam”.
Tejwani, as a power attorney holder representing original owners, allegedly sold 40 acres of government land in the upscale Mundhwa area of Pune to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm co-owned by Parth Pawar, son of late Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, for Rs 300 crore.
The deal came under the scanner after it came to light that while executing the sale deed, a stamp duty of Rs 21 crore had been waived. More
seriously, it was government land which could not have been sold.
The prosecution also claimed that the land was worth around Rs 1,800 crore but the price in the sale deed was only a fraction of it. It was also alleged that Tejwani executed documents on behalf of deceased persons and acted in connivance with revenue officials.
Two of the accused — Amadea Enterprises co-owner Digvijay Patil and suspended tehsildar Suryakant Yeole — are yet to be arrested and Tejwani’s release could hamper the investigation and influence witnesses, the prosecution said.
Her lawyer argued that the dispute was civil in nature, the land was “alienable upon payment of nazrana,” and Tejwani had cooperated with the investigation so far. The defence also cited her personal circumstances, stating that she is a single mother of three children.
Rejecting the plea, the court said such considerations could not outweigh the gravity of the allegations and granting bail at this stage would amount to misplaced sympathy.
“…the applicant in connivance of government authority has secured an illegal order of regularisation of the protected land and thereby caused huge loss to State exchequers for her illegal enrichment. Needless to say that the scam is an elite scam. The applicant is also involved in a similar nature of crime….co-accused are on the run,” the order stated. PTI SPK KRK
