Pune Tribals Seek Justice as Builders Allegedly Seize Allotted Land

Pune: A legal battle has erupted in Pune as 16 tribal Pardhi families fight to reclaim 20 acres of land they allege was illegally taken by estate agents and construction businesses.

The state government had originally allotted this land to the families in 1989 under a special provision, with each family receiving two acres in Mundhwa for farming purposes.

However, the land has since been developed by builders without proper consent from the state, leading to a dispute that will now be heard by Additional District Collector Ajay More on Thursday (September 5).

According to legal representatives, the tribal families were approached around 1990 by estate agents and builders who promised them alternative land in exchange for their allotted plots in Mundhwa.

Additionally, each family was given ₹2 lakh, and the agents secured their signatures on related documents. The families claim they never received the promised alternative land or adequate compensation. Meanwhile, portions of the acquired land have been developed, with builders constructing and selling residential units.

The affected families, upon realizing they had been deceived, returned to their original land to demand rightful compensation and alternate land allotment.

However, a complaint filed by the builder led to a police case against the families at the Mundhwa police station, and they were forcibly removed from the site.

In response, the families have now taken legal action, filing a claim through their advocates Suresh Palande and Dhairyasheel Palande, demanding the return of their land. A hearing is scheduled for September 5th.

Advocate Palande emphasized the illegality of the transactions, stating, “The land granted to the Pardhi families was under a special provision, which cannot be transferred without explicit permission from the state government. No such permission was sought by the builder, rendering the transactions illegal. We have highlighted this issue in our petition to the District Collector, and we hope for a fair hearing.”

Lata Pawar and Raju Pawar, representing the affected families, expressed their frustration, “The estate agents convinced us to sign documents by promising alternative land and compensation, but later we discovered that the land had been sold off. We have been forced back into makeshift shelters, and now we are seeking justice from the District Collector.”