Court orders cancellation of sale deed in Mundhwa land transaction

Pune, Jul 9 (PTI) A civil court here has ordered cancellation of a sale deed executed in the controversial Mundhwa land transaction involving Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which MP Parth Pawar, son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is a partner. Joint Civil Judge N R Gajbhiye passed the decree in a suit filed by Sheetal Tejwani, one of the accused in the ongoing criminal investigation, last week. Tejwani had approached the court in her capacity as power-of-attorney holder of the original landowners, seeking cancellation of the sale deed. The court declared that the registered sale deed dated May 20, 2025, executed in favour of Amadea Enterprises LLP for a consideration of Rs 300 crore, was "void ab initio, inoperative since the beginning and of no legal effect". The court directed the Sub-Registrar of Assurances, Haveli-4, Pune, to make necessary entries in the registration records and Index-II. It also declared that Amadea Enterprises LLP would have no right, title or interest in the property following the cancellation. The court noted that the defendant admitted execution of the sale deed as well as the fact that the sale consideration had not been paid. It also recorded that physical possession of the land was never handed over. The parties would be at liberty to approach the competent authority under Sections 47 and 48 of the Maharashtra Stamp Act for the refund of stamp duty, if permissible under law, the order said. The sale deed had been executed by Digvijay Patil, a co-partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP, on behalf of the firm. Tejwani allegedly sold the 40-acre plot of land in Pune's prime Mundhwa area to Amadea Enterprises LLP for Rs 300 crore. The deal came under the scanner after it came to light that a stamp duty of Rs 21 crore was waived during the registration. Later it turned out that the land belonged to the government and had been leased to the Botanical Survey of India, therefore the entire transaction was illegal. Two police cases were registered against Tejwani, Digvijay Patil, sub-registrar Ravindra Taru and Tehsildar Suryakant Yeole. Yeole had issued a letter to the Botanical Survey of India, directing it to vacate the land. The Maharashtra State Chief Controlling Revenue Authority subsequently upheld an order directing Amadea Enterprises to pay nearly Rs 21 crore towards stamp duty and penalty after rejecting the firm's appeal against the demand. The Pune Police's Economic Offences Wing has filed a charge sheet against Tejwani and other accused in the case. Parth Pawar, who subsequently became a Rajya Sabha member, has not been named as an accused. PTI SPK KRK