The Pune Land Saga: Untangling a Multi-Crore Stamp Duty Mystery

There’s quite a buzz circulating in Pune's real estate circles and, frankly, beyond, concerning a rather substantial land transaction. At its heart lies Amadeia Enterprises, staunchly defending a move by the state government to waive a hefty stamp duty on a valuable plot in Yerwada. It's a story that’s got layers, stretching back years, and it's all about to culminate with a definitive order from the state within the next few days.

Let’s set the scene, shall we? We’re talking about a sprawling 3.14-acre parcel of land in the bustling Yerwada area of Pune. This wasn't just any plot; it originally belonged to the venerable Bajaj Tempo Limited, a name many of us now recognize as Force Motors. Fast forward a bit, and this very land found itself at the center of a transfer to Amadeia Enterprises, a company specifically formed, if you will, to manage what were considered the non-core assets of the erstwhile Bajaj Tempo.

Now, here's where the eyebrows started to raise: the state government, specifically its revenue and forest department, decided to waive a significant Rs 2.94 crore in stamp duty for this particular land transfer. Two point nine four crore rupees! Naturally, the idea of the state forgoing such a substantial sum for a private entity stirred up quite a conversation, and not all of it positive.

But Amadeia Enterprises isn't just shrugging its shoulders; they're standing firm, armed with a powerful piece of paper: a Bombay High Court order dating all the way back to 2005. You see, this wasn't just some casual land sale. It was part of a larger, carefully orchestrated 'Scheme of Arrangement' involving Bajaj Tempo and Amadeia Enterprises. This scheme, sanctioned by the High Court, laid out the transfer of certain assets – yes, including this Yerwada plot – from the parent company to Amadeia, explicitly stating that such a transfer was to be exempt from stamp duty under Section 2(d) of the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958.

So, if there was an order from 2005, why are we talking about it now? Well, as often happens, things got a bit sticky. Despite that clear High Court directive, the Pune district collectorate was, shall we say, rather insistent on collecting the stamp duty. They even assessed it at that whopping Rs 2.94 crore for the land and the building on it. This led Amadeia to eventually file a contempt petition, essentially telling the High Court, 'Hey, they're not following your orders!' And the High Court, on December 4, 2023, directed the state to finally comply.

What we’re seeing now, therefore, according to Amadeia, isn't a fresh 'favour' from the state, but rather the government, through its revenue and forest department, simply doing what it was legally bound to do all along. The order for the waiver, signed by Deputy Secretary Ramdas Khade, is, in essence, the state government finally falling in line with a two-decade-old judicial pronouncement. And the final, official waiver order? We're told to expect it within the next five days. The anticipation, as you can imagine, is palpable.

This whole episode, while legally clear-cut from Amadeia's perspective, certainly highlights the complexities and often lengthy timelines involved in major property dealings, especially when substantial sums and judicial interpretations are at play. It's a reminder that even long-settled matters can resurface, sometimes with quite a ripple effect, before reaching their ultimate conclusion.