MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) to explain why deputy chief minister Suntera Pawar’s son and Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar has not been named as an accused in the Mundhwa land deal case, although he owns 99% of Amadea Enterprises LLP, which purchased the 40-acre plot.
A single judge bench of justice Madhav Jamdar issued the directions while hearing an anticipatory bail plea filed by Pune tehsildar Suryakant Gulabrao Yewale, accused of misusing his power to issue illegal orders granting ownership rights to Amadea Enterprises. So far, the police have named Digvijay Patil, suspended sub-registrar Ravindra Taru, tehsildar Suryakant Yewale, and power of attorney holder Shital Tejwani as accused in the first information report and charge-sheet. But the state opposed the plea and submitted that Yewale was involved in the crime, after which the court clarified that the ad-interim protection granted to him would remain in operation till the next date of hearing.
On Monday, Yewale’s lawyer, Harshad Nimbalkar, submitted that he was not involved in the alleged crime.
The next hearing is scheduled on September 28.
After the court was informed that Parth Pawar had not been made an accused “as he is very highly influential and the son of the Deputy Chief Minister of the State of Maharashtra”, the single judge bench directed the DGP and the investigating officer to explain within two weeks why Parth had not been named as an accused.
