Pune's Kondhwa In Crisis: Residents Allege Land Mafia, Drug Menace & Police Silence (FPJ Ground Report)

Pune's Kondhwa is making headlines for all the wrong reasons — from the open sale of drugs to land grabbing, numerous illegal businesses are operating in the area.

As per the ground report by The Free Press Journal, victims alleged that some police officers are helping local builders and land mafias in the area. The seriousness of the issues led to the raising of the land litigation issue in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly by Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar.

MLA Wadettiwar highlighted a case where a victim, Abhijit Arun Manjar (from Katraj), who owned land in the Kondhwa area, was physically assaulted by builder Surendra Agrawal and a group of local gangs over the dispute. Shockingly, Kondhwa Senior Police Inspector Vinay Patankar even threatened the complainant to shoot him if he did not step back. Highlighting the issue, Wadettiwar asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the Home Minister, for answers.

Moreover, locals say police are ignoring complaints and only supporting powerful builders.

'We are fighting not just against illegal builders but also the police system supporting them'

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Akshay Kapre, who had filed an FIR at Kondhwa Police Station against Surendra Agrawal for allegedly grabbing his land in Kondhwa forcefully, said, “We are fighting not just against illegal builders but also the police system supporting them. Despite court cases over our ancestral land in Kondhwa, goons sent by Brahma Builders and Clear Title Promoters trespassed, destroyed sandalwood trees, assaulted our watchman and stole CCTV footage. Police refused to register our complaint and even threatened us. When we reached out for help, officers sided with the builders. We protested at the District Collector’s office and submitted a complaint. If no action is taken, we will approach the Chief Minister and protest there.”

Another victim, on the basis of anonymity, said, “Two months back, my property was forcefully grabbed by a land mafia with the help of the police. The electricity meter was removed, and the land was barricaded using manpower. I am forced not to disclose the name because the situation will become worse, and I could lose my land.”

'Streets of Kondhwa have turned into drug markets in broad daylight'

Bahadur Shaikh, a local resident, highlighted, “The streets of Kondhwa have turned into drug markets in broad daylight, and the silence of the police is louder than the cries of worried parents. It is not only a matter of land issues, but other illegal activities are at their peak. If we are able to see such activities easily, why not the local administration?”

Praveen Gawande, another resident, said, “A number of vendors are running illegal stalls on the main road without permits and licenses. Not only PMC but also the traffic police have failed to remove the encroachment, as both administrations are involved in extorting huge amounts from them per month. They have shut their eyes to such illegal activity. Common people are forced to suffer due to negligence and corruption by these administrations.”

'We assure that the police are not biased'

Meanwhile, Raj Kumar Shinde, Deputy Commissioner of Police, speaking to Free Press Journal, said, “The matter which has been highlighted in the Assembly will be investigated by seniors (CP Amitesh Kumar) if any complaints are received. People used to allege such issues against the police. It is people’s perception which should be changed. But we assure them that the police are not biased. Steps have been and will be taken only after investigation.”