Mumbai/Pune, Nov 7 (PTI) Mounting a damage control exercise, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday claimed that his son Parth was not aware that the land purchased by his firm in Pune belonged to the government, and informed that the Rs 300 crore deal has now been cancelled, even as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed the transaction a `theft of land reserved for Dalits'.

Activist Anna Hazare also weighed in on the row, saying if a minister's children are involved in wrongdoing, it is the minister who should be held responsible.

The Revenue and Forest Department issued an order to constitute a high-level panel headed by Additional Chief Secretary (revenue) Vikas Kharge to inquire into the "unauthorised registration of documents" related to survey no 88 in Mouje Mundhwa in Pune city and determine whether the transaction caused any financial loss to the state exchequer.

Ajit Pawar, whose Nationalist Congress Party is part of the BJP-led ruling coalition in the state, met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the latter's official residence here in the evening, and later spoke to the media.

"The concerned land is a government land which cannot be sold. Parth and his partner Digvijay Patil were not aware of this fact. How the registration (of its sale) was done and who is responsible will come out in the probe being headed by ACS Vikas Kharge, and he will submit his report in a month," Pawar said.

The authorities had not been pressurised to transfer the land to Parth Pawar's company (Amadea Enterprises LLP), the deputy CM said.

The FIR named three persons (including Digvijay Patil) but not his son because these three persons had visited the registrar's office to sign the documents, Ajit Pawar further said, adding, "Neither I nor my office made any phone calls, gave any help, or had any role or knowledge about this transaction at any stage." "....this was only an agreement to buy land and no payment was made by Parth, his company Amadea, or by any member of my family to the seller, and the possession of the land has not been taken. Therefore, the transaction has not been completed," he said.

"My son Parth says that the proposed deal was within the ambit of law and completely above board. However, in public life, we must not allow even a suspicion of wrongdoing to emerge. Since allegations of wrongdoing have been made, he has agreed to cancel the deal. The required document for cancellation of the sale deed has already been submitted to the registering authority," Pawar said.

On Thursday, the deal for the sale of 40 acres of government land in the upscale Mundhwa area to Amadea Enterprises came under the scanner for want of required clearances. Opposition leaders alleged that its market value was Rs 1,800 crore.

Pimpri Chinchwad police registered an FIR -- on a complaint filed by Inspector General of Registrar's office -- against Digvijay Patil, Shital Tejwani (who represented the 272 `owners' of the land through a power of attorney), and sub-registrar R B Taru for alleged misappropriation and cheating.

On Friday, another FIR was registered in Pune against Patil, Tejwani and suspended revenue official Suryakant Yewale.

"During a preliminary inquiry, we found the suspended tehsildar's role in illegally allowing the transfer of land though it was owned by the government," collector Jitendra Dudi said. The FIR also named six others involved in another controversial deal involving land in Bopodi near Pune.

In a post on X, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged that the land in Mundhwa, worth Rs 1,800 crore, was reserved for Dalits.

"On top of that, the stamp duty was also waived on the land deal - meaning not only is it a robbery, but a waiver on the legal stamp duty too. This is 'land theft' by that government, which itself was formed through 'vote theft," he said.

"(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji, your silence speaks volumes - Are you staying silent for this reason, because your government rests on those very looters who usurp the rights of Dalits and the deprived?," Gandhi asked.

According to state officials, the land was 'Mahar Vatan', once granted to members of the Mahar community (a Scheduled Caste) for performing hereditary village duties.

Elsewhere, veteran anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare demanded stern action.

"If children of ministers are involved in wrongdoing, it is the ministers who should be blamed. What is more important is values, values that come from families. All such things happen because of lack of values," he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare accused the revenue and police departments of trying to save Parth Pawar.

“Despite the same document (No. 9018/225) being used in the registration process, and the inquiry report specifically mentioning Parth Pawar’s signature on the District Industries Board’s resolution granting stamp duty exemption, why have the authorities avoided naming him?” she asked.

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule urged the Opposition to wait for a month until the high-level committee submitted its report.

The FIR did not name Parth Pawar because he was not present at the sub-registrar’s office when the sale documents were signed, he said. PTI MR SPK ND SKC NR RSY BNM KRK