The Bombay High Court has granted anticipatory bail to suspended Pune City tehsildar Suryakant Yewale in the Mundhwa land deal case, but questioned the Maharashtra government, noting “serious allegations” against  M/s. Amadea Enterprises LLP, where Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar’s son and Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar holds 99 percent of the shares, while another director, Digvijay Patil, made an accused in the case, holds only 1 percent.

“Your stand as Investigating Officer (IO) [in the affidavit] is that the person who is having 99 percent shareholding is not responsible, and the one who is accused is the person having 1 percent shareholding. Is the person who is having 99% share, Mr Parth Pawar, not a beneficiary of this transaction?,” Justice Madhav J Jamdar orally questioned after the state lawyer said the company concerned was not a partnership firm.

Meanwhile, State Director General of Police (DGP) Sadanand Date, after detailed scrutiny of investigation papers, informed the HC that “there is a need for a more professional and detailed investigation”. Therefore, instructions have been issued to Pune Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar to carry out further probe.

The Mundhwa land deal case

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The FIR alleged that the land in Mundhwa, which fell under the category of Mahar Watan land and was leased to the Botanical Survey of India, was sold to Amadea Enterprises – without the mandatory approval of the state government.

Parth Pawar is a director in Amadea Enterprises.

The high court on September 7 directed the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) and the IO to respond to Yewale’s anticipatory bail plea after noting a submission, without specifically attributing it to any of the parties, that Parth Pawar had not been named as an accused for being “very highly influential”.

Senior advocate Harshad Nimbalkar, appearing for Yewale, argued allegations related to his July 1, 2025 order declaring applicants owners of the land and a July 14, 2025 letter intimating the Pune Sub-Divisional Officer on the land purchase. Even if the order was illegal, he said, it could be challenged, and the FIR did not allege that it was passed for “illegal gratification.”

Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) SV Gavand, appearing for the state, opposed the plea, saying custodial interrogation was required since allegations were “very serious”.

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The HC noted Yewale had not misused interim protection from arrest earlier granted to him, therefore, it granted him pre-arrest bail on an assurance of his cooperation with the probe.