DY Patil, family to face probe after all

The court of additional sessions judge, VV Joshi, on Tuesday rejected a revision petition filed by Dr DY Patil Educational Enterprises Pvt Ltd, run by Tripura governor, DY Patil (76) and his family members, in connection with a land grabbing case.

The company had filed a revision petition following the order by a magistrate court in Vadgaon Maval in Pune district in April, directing the police to probe the case. The petition, filed by the firm’s lawyer, Shrikant Shivade, prayed for quashing and setting aside the order passed by the lower court and challenged the legality, propriety and correctness of the order.

The other people allegedly involved in the land deal include Patil’s wife, Pushpalata (70) and his two sons, Vijay (41) and Ajeennkya (39).

Two officers of the company, Bandopant Dnyandeo Kotkar and Bhagirath Bhanudas Patil, who are accused of being involved in the deal, had also filed separate revision petitions in the same court through their lawyer, Harshad Nimbalkar.

The Vadgaon Maval court directed the Talegaon Dabhade police in April to conduct an inquiry into the land deal and file a first information report (FIR) under various sections pertaining
to cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, criminal breach of trust, forgery and criminal intimidation.

The court had asked the police to submit the report by May 2 following a complaint filed by Erandwane resident, Sadashiv Siddhu Pawar (66).

On June 1, the court of Joshi stayed the order by the lower court.
Pawar’s lawyer, Prasad Kulkarni told DNA that the court rejected the petition. Nimbalkar too said the court had rejected the petition of his client.

“So now the Talegaon Dabhade police will have to follow the magistrate court’s order to investigate the land grabbing case and file the FIR in this regard,” he added.

Pawar’s son, Sampat, had lodged an FIR in April this year at Talegaon Dabhade police station alleging that the company had taken 37 acres in Parandwadi village in Maval taluka on lease to start an educational institution. But neither was any educational institute set up on the plot nor was any money given to the complainant.

Sampat alleged that the company took his signature on certain documents which, he later realised, stated that he had gifted the land to DY Patil Educational Enterprises Ltd.