Sharad Pawar family accused of real estate scam

At the press conference, Singh alleged that Pawar’s nephew and former state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar granted 341 acres to Lake City Corp on 30 years lease at just Rs 23,000 per month. In Mumbai, the smallest one bedroom house is not available for that price. About 20.81% shares belonged to Pawar’s MP daughter Supriya Sule and her husband Sadanand Sule.

Supriya Sule had at least 10.4% share in Lake City Corp. Ajit Pawar gave the land to this company virtually free. In 2006, Sule and her husband sold shareholding – but at what cost?

In June 2008, Axis Bank valued the shares at Rs 10,000 crore. When Supriya Sule sold the shares the company should have been valued at least at Rs 5000 crore. But Supriya Sule declared her assets to be worth Rs 15 crore.

According to that she sold her Lavasa shares for Rs 5 crore. But according to the Axis Bank valuation, she would have got Rs 500 crore at least. The whistle blower revenue officer, Ramesh Kumar, was victimised for exposing the irregularities in this scam.

Singh went on to add Sharad Pawar is a Union Agriculture Minister. “He has nothing to do with land-related matters in Maharashtra. But he interfered in that,” he claimed.

In 2006, Lavasa sought some concessions and that was rejected. Global Floor Space Index (FSI) including lakes, mountains was taken into account so that the height of the building could be raised.

Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit, who was then the irrigation minister, met the then CM and senior IAS officers in a guest house in Lavasa called Ekant and decided to give Lavasa a global floating floor space index (FSI).  He also released the minutes of that meeting.

He turned his tirade against Kejriwal and said whether he knew these details.  “I think he did. The main point quid-pro-quo was not highlighted. We don’t know whether there was money laundering. But in 20 April, 2009, we had made a report – and Kejriwal was a part of that team. I was hoping we will expose that scam. But when I saw the small matter of Nitin Gadkari, and that too on a wrong legal point, it is for you to compare what he exposed and what I have presented today,” Singh said.

How did Sharad Pawar hold a meeting with Maharashtra officials in the Lavasa guest house? He was Union Agriculture Minister; what jurisdiction did he have? How was a government meeting held in a private guest house? There are many such questions; there needs to be an FIR, that should be followed by an investigation and a court case. He said he would ensure an FIR was filed under the jurisdiction of Anti-Corruption Bureau Maharashtra.

Moreover, Singh said he was not like Kejriwal who would be silent after allegations. “I had sent them a legal notice. I will pursue the corruption related case now. I will not blame Kerjriwal, but the case against Gadkari that he has sensationalised, I feel, he would have seen the political equation in Delhi. I am a lawyer; Kejriwal is my client. A lawyer doesn’t go to a client, so I cannot go to him,” he noted. According to Singh, he had given Kejriwal details on Lavasan but wondered why he had a soft corner for Sharad Pawar.

He said Sharad Pawar is such a big political figure and asked reporters to scrutinise the evidence and decide whether Pawar has the right to continue as a union minister after that.

When asked about Singh’s allegations, Sharad Pawar rejected them and said: “Maharashtra government brought in hill station policy. Lavasa was built as per the hill station policy. There are no violations in Lavasa. Ajit Gulabchand has done pioneering work in building Lavasa hill station. I will not speak more as matter is under sub-judicious, there is no wrong doing there and work good work is going on under Maharashtra Hill policy. “