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Sheetal Tejwani remanded in ₹21 crore stamp duty waiver case
Pimpri-Chinchwad police on Tuesday arrested prime accused Sheetal Tejwani Suryavanshi in connection with alleged ₹21 crore stamp duty waiver and land registration fraud
PUNE: A day after being sent to judicial custody, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police on Tuesday arrested prime accused Sheetal Tejwani Suryavanshi in connection with the alleged ₹21 crore stamp duty waiver and land registration fraud. She was produced before the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), which remanded her to eight days’ police custody, although the police had sought a 10-day remand.
In its remand application, the police told the court that their probe revealed deliberate manipulation of documents during the online property registration process. Investigators said that during the interrogation of arrested sub-registrar Ravindra Balkrushna Taru, it emerged that Tejwani had initially submitted one set of property documents for verification, which were attached to the physical file. However, during the online registration process, these documents were allegedly removed and replaced with another set, enabling the fraudulent registration to go through. Taru is alleged to have registered the documents without verifying the attached records.
Police said this modus operandi came to light during Taru’s interrogation. According to investigators, he allegedly processed the online registration without due verification, making custodial interrogation of Tejwani necessary to establish the larger conspiracy.
Police have alleged that Tejwani defrauded the state exchequer of ₹21 crore and that her custodial interrogation is required to identify the roles of other accused, trace financial transactions, and seize electronic devices allegedly used to prepare forged documents. Investigators also told the court that searches at Tejwani residence and office are required as part of the probe.
According to police, Tejwani, along with Amadea Enterprises LLP and its partner Digvijay Patil, submitted an application to the inspector general of registration (IGR) office attaching a term sheet claiming usage rights over the land for five years. “She had no legal right over the land and cheated the government by making false representations,” the police said. Investigators further alleged that mandatory documents, including the eligibility Certificate (EC), were not attached and that Tejwani acted in nexus with Patil and other accused.
The remand application also refers to allegedly bogus powers of attorney executed in 2006, 2007 and 2008, under which Tejwani had no authority to sell government land in the name of the Mumbai Sarkar. Despite her appeal to the revenue minister being rejected on January 6, 2023, and subsequent government orders reiterating state ownership of the land, police alleged that she went ahead and fraudulently registered the property with the “active assistance” of Taru.
Police further claimed that Tejwani has a prior record of cheating and is suspected to be part of an organised land-grabbing syndicate involved in the illegal transfer and sale of government land to private entities.
Taru, 58, sub-registrar, was arrested Sunday evening for allegedly facilitating a fraudulent land registration and evading nearly ₹6 crore in stamp duty on a deed valued at ₹300 crore. He was remanded to eight days’ police custody by the JMFC, Paud. Police said Taru registered a sale deed between Tejwani and Patil, allegedly acting in concert with them.
The case is based on a complaint filed on November 6 by Santosh Hingane, joint deputy registrar (class 1) and stamp duty collector. The complaint alleges that Tejwani, Taru and Patil colluded to register a sale deed on May 20, 2025, pertaining to a nearly 40-acre state government land parcel in Mundhwa valued at over ₹2,000 crore, and illegally granted a stamp duty waiver, causing a loss of ₹6 crore to the state exchequer.
Patil is a partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP, in which Parth Pawar, son of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, is also a partner. Police said the role of all accused and the financial trail linked to the transaction are under investigation.
