Pune, February 10 A court here on Tuesday rejected the bail application of Shital Tejwani, an accused in the Mundhwa land deal case, stating that it involves serious economic offenses causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.
Additional Sessions Judge B V Wagh also noted the applicant's prima facie involvement in the "elite scam."
Tejwani, as a power of attorney holder representing the original owners, allegedly sold 40 acres of government land in the upscale Mundhwa area of Pune to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a firm co-owned by Parth Pawar, son of late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, for Rs 300 crore.
The deal came under scrutiny after it was revealed that while executing the sale deed, a stamp duty of Rs 21 crore had been waived. More seriously, it was government land, which could not have been sold.
The prosecution also claimed that the land was worth around Rs 1,800 crore, but the price in the sale deed was only a fraction of it. It was also alleged that Tejwani executed documents on behalf of deceased persons and acted in connivance with revenue officials.
Two of the accused – Amadea Enterprises co-owner Digvijay Patil and suspended tehsildar Suryakant Yeole – are yet to be arrested, and Tejwani's release could hamper the investigation and influence witnesses, the prosecution said.
Her lawyer argued that the dispute was of a civil nature, the land was "transferable upon payment of nazrana," and Tejwani had cooperated with the investigation so far. The defense also cited her personal circumstances, stating that she is a single mother of three children.
Rejecting the plea, the court said such considerations could not outweigh the seriousness of the allegations, and granting bail at this stage would be tantamount to misplaced sympathy.
"...the applicant, in connivance with government authorities, has secured an illegal order of regularisation of the protected land, thereby causing a huge loss to the State exchequer for her illegal enrichment. Needless to say that the scam is an elite scam. The applicant is also involved in a similar nature of crime....the co-accused are on the run," the order stated.