Will consult CM on further course of action: Bawankule after Kharge panel submits report on Mundhwa land deal

Pune: State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said he would consult chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on the next course of action after receiving the sealed report of the Vikas Kharge committee on the Mundhwa land deal earlier in the day."The sealed report is on my table. I am yet to open and go through its contents. I will discuss it with the CM before deciding on further action," Bawankule told TOI.
The report could also be forwarded to the CM's office after consultations, the revenue minister said, adding that he was unlikely to make any immediate statement on the report, as both he and the CM were engaged in official events related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron's Mumbai visit on Tuesday.Speaking about media reports claiming that the panel had given a clean chit to Parth Pawar, a partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP linked to the land deal, Bawankule dismissed them as absolutely wrong. "I haven't even opened the report. Any claims about its contents are premature," the revenue minister said.Activist Anjali Damania demanded that the full report be made public. "I have also asked the CM for the detailed report," she said, questioning how certain sections of the media gave a clean chit to Parth Pawar when the report wasn't even made public.Last week, the state revenue department had recommended the dismissal of two officials — sub registrar R Taru and tehsildar Suryakant Yewale — linked to the Mundhwa land deal, with senior govt sources confirming that the proposal was "under process" and undergoing legal scrutiny. Speaking about the recommendation, activist Vijay Kumbhar questioned why only the two officials were being targetted for alleged irregularities and stamp duty evasion by Amadea. "If true, it will amount to selective justice and an attempt to shield influential individuals," he said, calling the report an "eyewash".The Kharge panel, headed by additional chief secretary (revenue) Vikas Kharge, was formed to examine procedural lapses in the valuation and registration of a land purchase deed at Mouje Mundhwa. The six-member committee included senior officials from revenue and registration departments.The 40-acre Mahar Watan land parcel, once held by 272 watandars, was taken over by govt after the abolition of the Mahar Watan system and leased to the Botanical Society of India till 2038. Sheetal Tejwani, claiming to represent the original landholders, executed a sale deed in favour of Amadea Enterprises LLP for a declared amount of Rs 300 crore for a proposed data centre.The controversy arose in Nov after the Haveli sub registrar IV office registered the deed on May 20, 2025, allegedly waiving 7% stamp duty worth Rs 21 crore without authorisation, despite records identifying the land as govt-owned.On Nov 7, 2025, state govt appointed the Kharge committee to probe irregularities, identify responsible officials, recommend disciplinary or legal action, propose ways to restore the land's legal status and suggest systemic safeguards.