Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son, Parth Pawar, has found himself at the centre of a major controversy over an alleged multi-hundred crore land scam in Pune, which has triggered a political storm in the state.

Police have filed cases against several individuals linked to the deal, including Parth’s associate Digvijay Patil and businesswoman Sheetal Tejwani, though Parth himself has not been named in the FIR.

According to the investigation, Parth and his relative Digvijaysinh Patil purchased 40 acres of land in Pune for Rs 300 crore, despite the market value being around Rs 1,800 crore. The property, classified as Mahar Vatan, was originally designated for Dalit landless farmers. Acting on directives from the state revenue department, police lodged an FIR against those directly involved in the transaction, but not against Parth Pawar, who holds a 99 percent ownership stake in Amadea Enterprises LLP—the firm through which the land was purchased. Patil, who holds only one percent ownership in the company, has been named in the FIR.

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule defended the decision, stating, “The FIR was lodged against those whose names appeared on documents during the Pune land transaction. Since Parth Pawar’s name did not appear at the time of registration, no FIR was filed against him. If Parth Pawar’s name emerges during the investigation, it will be included in the FIR.”

Opposition parties have accused the government of shielding Ajit Pawar and his son. Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar said, “If authorities examine the details, it will be clear that Parth Pawar, the actual owner of Amadea, had merely given a power of attorney to Digvijaysinh Patil to execute the deal. This makes Parth the real owner. Yet, no action has been taken against him simply because he is the son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.”

Under mounting pressure, Ajit Pawar announced that the Pune land deal had been cancelled and that documents were submitted to formalize the cancellation. Parth Pawar informed the revenue department of his decision to cancel the sale deed, with the relevant paperwork filed before the registering authority.

The controversy also led to administrative action. Sub-Registrar Ravindra Taru was suspended by the Maharashtra Revenue Department for his role in approving the transaction. A senior official confirmed that an FIR has been registered against Taru, the seller, and the purchaser for further investigation.

This is not the first time Parth Pawar has faced public scrutiny.

In January last year, he made headlines after visiting Pune gangster Gajanan alias Gaja Marne at his home, accompanied by NCP functionaries Deepak Mankar and Dattatraya Dhankawade. A video and photos of Parth being felicitated by Marne had gone viral, forcing Ajit Pawar to call his son’s meeting with the gangster “a very wrong thing.”

Marne, who remains an active gangster according to police, has over 30 criminal cases registered against him. His wife, Jayshree Marne, is a former corporator who won a civic election in 2012 on a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ticket.

Parth’s political career has also been marked by controversy. He made his debut in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Maval as the NCP candidate but lost by over two lakh votes to the Shiv Sena’s Shrirang Barne.

In 2020, he courted criticism within the party for supporting the Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya, calling it “a cultural victory,” a comment Sharad Pawar later described as “immature.” Earlier that year, Parth had also demanded a CBI probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, creating friction within the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

The latest land scam has deepened the controversy surrounding Parth’s business activities. Two separate FIRs have been registered against Digvijay Amarsinh Patil, director of Amadea Enterprises LLP.

The first, filed at Bavdhan police station in Pimpri Chinchwad, names Patil, Sheetal Tejwani, and the now-suspended sub-registrar Taru for the alleged fraudulent purchase of the 40-acre Koregaon Park property and an irregular stamp duty waiver worth Rs 5.89 crore. On Friday, Ajit Pawar confirmed that this agreement “stood cancelled.”

A second FIR, lodged at Khadak police station in Pune, accuses Patil, Tejwani, and suspended Pune city tehsildar Suryakant Yewale of conspiring to illegally claim 13 acres of government-owned agricultural land in Bopodi. The FIR alleges that between February 12, 2024, and July 1, 2025, Yewale “misused his powers and conspired with others to issue an illegal order” transferring the land’s ownership.

Meanwhile, Pune police have also intensified their crackdown on the Gaja Marne gang, arresting two key members, Sunil Bansode and Rupesh Marne, in recent weeks.