Action in Pune land deal case as per law; won't save anybody: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis
Gadchiroli (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that action in the Pune land deal case, involving a company linked to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar, is being taken as per the law and there is no question of saving anybody.
"FIRs have been filed against signatories and vendors, and those found guilty in the probe will be booked. Action is being taken as per the law," Fadnavis told reporters in Gadchiroli.
The controversy pertains to the alleged illegal sale of 40 acres of government land in Pune's Mundhwa area, reportedly worth around Rs 1,800 crore, which Opposition leaders claim was purchased by a company linked to Parth Pawar for Rs 300 crore with a stamp duty waiver.
On Friday evening, Ajit Pawar informed about the cancellation of the deal and stated that Parth was unaware that the land belonged to the government.
The 7 per cent stamp duty for the Rs 300 crore deal comes to Rs 21 crore.
After Ajit Pawar's announcement, it has emerged that Amadea Enterprises LLP will have to pay double stamp duty, amounting to Rs 42 crore, for cancellation.
The Department of Registration and Stamps has informed Digvijay Amarsinh Patil, the cousin of Parth Pawar and a partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP, that the firm must pay the earlier 7 per cent stamp duty (5 per cent under the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1 per cent Local Body Tax and 1 per cent Metro cess), as it had sought an exemption by claiming a data centre was proposed on the land.
Based on a complaint filed by the Inspector General of Registrar's office, the Pimpri Chinchwad police registered a first information report 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 tehsildar Suryakant Yewale.
The FIR did not name Parth Pawar because he was not present at the sub-registrar’s office when the sale documents were signed, state revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had said.
The government has suspended Taru and Yewale.
Amadea Enterprises, a firm co-owned by Parth Pawar and his cousin Digvijay Patil, entered into an agreement with Shital Tejwani, who held the power of attorney representing 272 alleged land owners, and executed a sale deed for the 40-acre land in Mundhwa for Rs 300 crore.
The deal came under the scanner after it was revealed that the land belonged to 'Mumbai Sarkar', and while executing the deal, the firm was allegedly given a 7 per cent stamp duty waiver by colluding with sub-registrar Taru, who executed the deal at the sub-registrar office.
Joint Inspector General of Stamps and Registration, Rajendra Muthe, said that the proposal by Amadea at the time of the sale deed in May this year stated that they sought a stamp duty exemption, citing that a data centre was proposed on the said land.
"However, during the scrutiny, it was revealed that an exemption can not be given to such a proposal and hence, the firm will have to pay an earlier stamp duty that is 7 per cent and an additional 7 per cent to execute the cancellation deed," he added.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
