Former Pune Top Cop Book Alleges Ajit Pawar’s Interference In Land Deal

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is once again haunted by a serious charge of alleged corruption, this time levelled by a top woman IPS officer. Though Pawar has refuted the charge, he will have to answer several tricky questions as the potential beneficiary concerned is a prominent developer. The disclosure in then Pune commissioner of police Meera Borwankar book concerns a three-acre land parcel belonging to the police department. It is adjacent to Yerawada Central Jail in Pune. In her soon to be released autobiographical account, ‘Madam Commissioner,’ Borwankar has dealt in detail with the purported transaction which Ajit had directed her and other officials to conclude in favour of Shahid Balwa, promoter of DB Realty, an influential group. Borwankar said the reason the land parcel could be saved was since then home minister RR Patil had endorsed her opposition to the land transfer after she explained that the land could be utilized for various police establishments as it was situated in a prime locality. The book is full of disclosures about many sensational criminal cases in Maharashtra and with which Borwankar was directly involved as an investigating officer. After a close associate of Ajit threatened her with legal action, she said she would be ready to face it. This will be the second time Ajit will have to survive such a serious charge. A decade ago, he had resigned as Dy chief minister after grave allegations were levelled against him regarding the irrigation scam in Maharashtra.