A land transaction in Pune has triggered a political firestorm in Maharashtra, putting deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and his family under scrutiny.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a probe into the sale of the land allegedly linked to Pawar’s son, Parth.

On Thursday, Fadnavis constituted a committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge to investigate the alleged irregularities in the sale of government land to Amadea Enterprises, a firm the Opposition claims is connected to Parth Pawar.

The move came after reports that land worth Rs 1,800 crore was sold for just Rs 300 crore. Calling the transaction “prima facie serious,” Fadnavis said he had sought a full report. “Orders have been given to conduct a probe,” he said in Nagpur.

Ajit Pawar, however, has distanced himself from the deal. “The chief minister should definitely probe this. It is his right,” he said. “I am not even remotely connected to this (land deal).”

Pawar insisted he had already warned against any wrongdoing. “Three-four months ago, I heard that some such things were going on. I had then clearly said that I won’t tolerate any such wrongdoing. I had issued clear instructions that nobody should do such wrong things. I don’t know what happened after that,” he said.

He maintained that he never directed any officer to act for personal benefit. “I wish to make clear to officers that I won’t support any wrong actions by anyone citing my name to get their work done,” he said.

“When your children grow up, they do their own business,” he added.

Ajit Pawar was accused in the multi-crore Maharashtra irrigation scam involving alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for several projects as Water Resources Minister, but was later officially exonerated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in 2019, which found no evidence connecting him to the wrongdoing.

The government has suspended Pune tehsildar Suryakant Yewale and a sub-registrar involved in the transaction.

The Opposition has accused the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, of shielding vested interests.

According to officials, Amadea Enterprises purchased 40 acres in Pune’s Mundhwa area. The land was classified as Mahar watan land, hereditary property of the Mahar community, which cannot be sold without prior state approval.

An official said stamp duty on the transaction was waived, despite the land being government-owned.

Inspector general of registration Ravindra Binwade said the committee will determine how such a transaction took place.

“The documents submitted to claim the exemption will be checked. The committee will also see documents produced during registration. We have suspended a sub-registrar-rank official. If it is government land, the registration should not have taken place,” he said.

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said activist Anjali Damania had informed him about the transaction and would file a complaint by November 11.

“The Industries Department will check under which scheme what has been given. When we came up with the IT Park policy, the cabinet announced some concessions. Are they among them? We will have to check this. I will investigate after Damania files a complaint in this regard. If the officials have done anything wrong, we will investigate. I have the authority to implement all the Mahar Watan Act, but no complaint has been received,” Bawankule said.

The Opposition has demanded a judicial inquiry. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said the deal moved “at rocket speed” through departments.

“Within hours, the Directorate of Industries not only approved the transfer of land to the company for an IT park and data centre but also waived stamp duty of Rs 21 crore,” he said.

“Ajit Pawar, who often questions for how long farmers will get things for free, has now ensured free land and tax waivers for his son’s firm,” Wadettiwar alleged, adding that similar deals in Pune could total Rs 1 lakh crore.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve claimed the company had just Rs 1 lakh in capital when it proposed an IT park worth Rs 1,800 crore. “The company passed a resolution on April 22 to set up an IT park and submitted a proposal to the government despite having a capital of Rs 1 lakh,” he said.

Industries minister Uday Samant dismissed the allegations. “The company has not applied to the Industries Department for any stamp duty concession under the Information Technology and IT-enabled Services Policy, 2023,” he said.

Samant clarified that a Letter of Intent did not mean approval of financial benefits. “Issuing a Letter of Intent (LoI) does not mean that a waiver or concession has been approved. It is only a preliminary step for eligibility verification. No financial benefit is granted through it,” he said.