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Pune EOW arrests Sheetal Tejwani in alleged 1,800-crore land scam; allegations point to links with Parth Pawar

MUMBAI: The Pune Polices Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Wednesday arrested Sheetal Tejwani in connection with an alleged 1,800-crore, 40-acre land scam in Pune, in which deputy chief minister Ajit Pawars elder son, Parth Pawar, has also been named in allegations. It is alleged that Tejwani acted as an agent and falsified a power of attorney in favour of Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm in which Parth Pawar is a major partner. According to the allegations, the 40 acres of landvalued at around 1,800 crorewere acquired by the firm despite the property being Mahar Watan land, which cannot legally be sold. Tejwani is accused of providing the land to Parth Pawar on a five-year lease by claiming ownership through allegedly falsified documents. She had reportedly been absconding after she was named as an accused along with Parth Pawars business partner, Digvijay Patil. Following questioning, she was arrested by the EOW in Pune. Tejwani is further accused of misleading local communities and manipulating administrative procedures to illegally facilitate the transfer of approximately 40 acres of prime land near Punes Koregaon Park area. Investigators allege that she forged documents, issued unauthorised powers of attorney, and used multiple financial channels to move the land into her name. In the preliminary probe, it was found that she had convinced several Mahar Watan landholders to grant her power of attorney, often paying each of the 275 individuals only a nominal amount. The land in question has been leased to the Botanical Garden for nearly 90 years, and the Mahar Watan landholders are not the legal owners. Despite this, Tejwani allegedly approached the court claiming rights over the property. She is also accused of submitting suo motu applications and producing demand drafts worth 11,000 to create an appearance of legitimacy, which she then presented to a third party, Amadea Enterprises LLP, indicating that the land was clear for purchase. Social activist Anjali Damani, speaking to the media, called Tejwanis arrest a farce ahead of the state assembly session scheduled in Nagpur next week. She alleged that big fish such as Parth Pawar and Digvijay Patil are the main culprits but that no FIR has been lodged against them because of their political connections. We want strong action against the main culprits. The law should be equal for all, the activist said.