Pune land deal linked to Parth Pawar's firm: Suspended sub-registrar Ravindra Taru arrested
Pune (PTI): Sub-registrar Ravindra Taru, who was suspended after irregularities emerged in the Mundhwa land deal in Pune, was arrested on Sunday by Pimpri Chinchwad police, an official said.
The case deals with the fraudulent sale of a 40-acre government plot to a firm in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth is a partner.
"A case was lodged against Ravindra Balkrushna Taru on the complaint of Joint District Registrar Santosh Hingane at Bavdhan police station. He was arrested today," Pimpri Chinchwad Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishal Gaikwad said.
An inquiry report of a committee headed by Rajendra Muthe, Joint Inspector General of Registration (IGR), stated that Taru (58) processed the sale deed on May 19 this year using a critical loophole in the registration system.
Taru used the "skip" option in the e-mutation process to register a sale deed for government-owned land in Mundhwa, classifying it as "movable property" to bypass the mandatory verification procedures, the report said.
As per police, land was illegally sold to Parth Pawar's Amadea Enterprises LLP for Rs 300 crore, despite the property's estimated market value of Rs 1,800 crore.
"Sub-registrar Taru failed to verify this crucial fact, thereby violating Section 18 of Registration Act 1908. This section explicitly requires registrars to verify ownership status before registering any property transaction, particularly when government land is involved," the investigation report said.
The report also names Amadea Enterprises LLP Digvijay Patil, as well as Shital Tejwani, who acted as power of attorney holder and sold the land. She has since been arrested.
Taru's arrest comes on the eve of the Maharashtra legislature's Winter session in Nagpur.
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Watch: Tusker rescued from 20-foot well in Sullia after 16-hour operation
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Mangaluru (PTI): A lone tusker that had fallen into an abandoned 20-foot-deep well in Dakshina Kannada district was successfully rescued after forest officials constructed an earthen ramp, allowing the animal to walk out safely, officials said.
The incident occurred when the elephant, aged about 30 years and roaming in the forested Sampaje range of Sullia taluk in the Western Ghats, accidentally fell into the well in the early hours of Monday and was rescued at around 4 pm the same day, they said.
Initially, when the operation began, officials suspected it was a calf. But midway through the rescue, as it made its way out, they realised it was actually an elephant.
The animal remained trapped inside the well for nearly 16 hours before being rescued, officials added.
Huge relief, the elephant is out of the well.
— Harish Upadhya (@harishupadhya) April 13, 2026
The animal has moved into nearby plantations instead of heading back to the forest. Forest teams remain on high alert.#ElephantRescue #Karnataka https://t.co/ZCLU6COXTv pic.twitter.com/begPVx1oki
According to officials, acting swiftly, the Karnataka Forest Department created a gradual ramp from the bottom of the well to ground level using earth-moving equipment, ensuring a safe exit path for the animal.
After spending about 16 hours inside the well, the elephant walked out safely using the ramp and disappeared into the nearby forest, officials said.
A wild elephant trapped in a well in Peraje, Sullia. Rescue underway. Forest officials on-site for hours, digging to bring the animal out safely. Prayers for the gentle giant. #elephants #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/GZ7yp7pA8q
— Harish Upadhya (@harishupadhya) April 13, 2026
Forest department officials told PTI that the tusker did not sustain any injuries despite the fall and remained healthy and alert throughout the operation.
They monitored the animal as it climbed the ramp and returned to its natural habitat.
The timely intervention prevented any harm to the elephant and highlighted the swift response of the forest team in wildlife rescue operations in the Western Ghats region, which is known for human-elephant conflict incidents.
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