Ajit Pawar concedes he met former Pune top cop Meeran Borwankar but did not insist on land transfer | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday responded to claims made in former Pune police commissioner Meeran Borwankar’s book, ‘Madam Commissioner’, acknowledging that he had indeed met with her during his tenure as the district’s guardian minister in 2010.
The meeting was regarding the handover of three acres of police land, which had been auctioned to a builder. However, Pawar stated that since Borwankar was not in favor of the transfer, he dropped the matter immediately. He also clarified that he was not involved in the decision to enter into an agreement with a developer for the land’s auction and did not impede her request for a posting as CID chief.

Borwankar’s book detailed her opposition to handing over the land, with claims that Pawar overruled her and insisted on completing the process after the auction had concluded. She also described an incident in which Pawar allegedly lost his temper and threw a map on the table when she declined to proceed.
During a press conference, Pawar explained that he often held review meetings as Pune’s guardian minister for decisions that had not been implemented. He mentioned that developing the police land at Yerawada was seen as beneficial for the police, as it would lead to the construction of police housing and offices. However, Pawar emphasized that he did not exert pressure on Borwankar and simply inquired about her decision regarding the land transfer.
Pawar stated that he was not involved in the decision to develop the land through a private builder and that this decision was made by the state home department between 2008 and 2009. He also mentioned that a committee had been formed to assess the proposal’s benefits, and he had not signed any documents or attended meetings related to this issue.
Regarding Borwankar’s claim that the NCP opposed her posting as ADG (CID) due to her opposition to the land sale, Pawar clarified that he had never interfered with postings, leaving such decisions to departmental officers.
Pawar refuted the notion that Borwankar’s opposition led to the cancellation of the land development deal, stating that the contract was terminated by the state government due to the ED’s inquiry into the developer’s involvement in the 2G scam.
In response to calls for an inquiry into the deal, Pawar argued that there was no point in such an investigation since the land was under government control.
Pawar suggested that retired officers may write sensational claims to garner publicity for their books, adding that he had heard that retired IPS and IAS officers were required to seek permission from their departments before publishing their books.