Pune land deal: Parth Pawar's firm seeks extension to respond to Rs 21 cr stamp duty payment notice
Pune (PTI): A firm linked to Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's son, Parth Pawar, on Monday sought 15 more days to respond to a notice issued by the the Inspector General of Registration's office, which directed it to pay Rs 21 crore towards stamp duty in a land deal case.
Amadea Enterprises LLP, in which Parth Pawar is a majority partner, approached the IGR office on the last day of the expiry of the notice, which had granted the firm seven days to respond.
"A team of lawyers approached the IGR office with an authority letter to represent the firm and its partner, Digvijay Patil, and submitted an application seeking extension of 15 more days to respond to the notice directing the firm to pay Rs 21 crore as stamp duty," a senior IGR office said.
He added that the application has been accepted and the decision to grant an extension will be taken by senior officials.
The Rs 300-crore deal to sell a 40-acre land parcel in the prime Mundhwa area to the firm came under scrutiny after it was revealed that the land belongs to the government and that the firm was exempted from paying the stamp duty.
Following the controversy, an offence was registered against Digvijay Patil and others, including a government official. Parth Pawar was not named in the FIR.
Amid a political firestorm, Ajit Pawar announced that the deal would be scrapped.
An inquiry by the IGR office had indicted Patil, Shital Tejwani, who held the power of attorney, and sub-registrar Ravindra Taru, who facilitated the sale deed of the land for irregularities.
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V.D. Satheesan elected as new Chief Minister of Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Celebrations erupted across Kerala on Thursday after V D Satheesan was selected by the Congress High Command as the next Chief Minister of the state.
Satheesan was at the Contonment House in Thiruvananthapuram, the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition, when AICC leaders announced it in New Delhi.
Soon after the announcement, jubilant Satheesan supporters burst firecrackers and distributed sweets in several parts of the state.
Paravur in Ernakulam district, the Assembly constituency he has represented since 2001, witnessed large-scale celebrations.
Satheesan was widely seen as the frontrunner for the post, with UDF allies also backing his candidature during the selection process.
As the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, he led the UDF both inside and outside the House.
Apart from Satheesan, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and Congress MP K C Venugopal were also considered for the post.
