Bopodi land deal case: Court grants interim anticipatory bail to suspended tehsildar linked to scam involving Parth Pawar’s firm

The other accused in this case are Hemant Gawande (power of attorney holder on behalf of Vision Property), Rajendra Ramchandra Vidhwans, Rushikesh Madhav Vidhwans, Mangal Madhav Vidhwans — all three residents of Navi Peth in Pune —Vidyanand Avinash Puranik of Indore, Jayshree Sanjay Ekbote of Colaba in Mumbai, and Sheetal Kisanchand Tejwani.

All accused have been booked under sections 201, 316 (2), 316 (5), 318 (4), 336 (3), 336 (4), 338, 340 (2), 6 (2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on charges related to public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury, cheating, breach of trust, etc.

The FIR stated that accused Gawande, Rajendra Vidhwans, Rushikesh Vidhwans, Mangal Vidhwans, Vidyanand Puranik and Jayashree Ekbote allegedly sought wrongful possession of government owned land in Bopodi. It is alleged that Yewale issued an order in favour of these accused by misusing his powers, between February 12, 2024, and July 1, 2025, while performing his duties as tehsildar, Pune city, at the Mamledar Kacheri in Shukrawar Peth.

The FIR also mentioned that Yewale had issued a letter illegally on June 9, 2025, to vacate the government land in Mundhwa area. A separate FIR in connection with the Mundhwa land scam was lodged at Bavdhan police station in Pimpri Chinchwad against Digvijay Patil, Sheetal Tejwani and now suspended sub-registrar Ravindra Taru on November 5.

Patil was accused of fraudulently purchasing about 40 acres in the prime Mundhwa-Koregaon Park area of Pune city, with a suspicious stamp duty waiver of Rs 5.89 crore. After a major controversy erupted over this issue, Ajit Pawar stated that the agreement pertaining to this land deal stands cancelled.

Investigation into the Bopodi land scam case was transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Pune city police. On November 10, the police clarified that the FIR in this case, registered at Khadak police station, pertains to alleged irregularities involving two separate land parcels in Bopodi and Mundhwa, both linked to Yewale, who is accused of issuing wrongful orders in both cases.

Yewale filed an application seeking interim anticipatory bail in the Bopodi land scam case. Yewale’s lawyer Harshad Nimbalkar claimed that he was innocent and framed in this case.

Nimbalkar argued that the decision rendered by Yewale may be an irregularity, but he did “cause any unlawful gain” from the “illegal enrichment”.

The lawyer also argued that sections of forgery in this case are not attracted to Yewale, who did not deceive or induce any one to deliver any property or alter the document”.

The lawyer argued that Yewale’s role was of a “quasi judicial authority and not of conspiracy with the persons who are alleged to be benefitted. The court directed the prosecution to file a say on Yewale’s application. But the assistant public prosecutor sought time for submitting the say.

So the court granted interim anticipatory bail to Yewale till the filing of the say followed by submission by the prosecution. Court has asked Yewale to submit his permanent and temporary address and mobile numbers to investigators.