Pune: Allegations were made against Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol regarding fraud in the land transaction of Jain Boarding House in Pune's Shivajinagar. Farmer leader Raju Shetti and former MLA Ravindra Dhangekar made allegations against Mohol and demanded his instant resignation. Speaking to reporters on Sunday afternoon, Mohol has clarified his stance and denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated.
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Punekars Deserve The Truth: Mohol
Union MoS Murlidhar Mohol said, "I was not in Pune for the past week. However, I saw many news reports and articles about me. I am not clarifying because Raju Shetti and a certain Pune leader made accusations against me, but I'm clarifying for the Punekars who voted for me and trust me, saying, 'Our MP should do good work and take people into trust and work,'" Mohol said, avoiding taking Dhangekar's name.
Mohol continued saying, "Punekars might have wondered recently what the truth is behind these allegations, and that's why I am providing the clarification. I went deep into this subject and have taken detailed information regarding the allegations."
Mohol's Version Regarding Jain Boarding House
"Regarding the deed of sale that took place in the Jain Boarding House land transaction case, Pune's Gokhale Builders purchased it while carrying out this deal. However, I have been accused of being a partner in Gokhale Builders. I declared in my Lok Sabha election affidavit that I am an agriculture businessman and I am involved in the construction business in two firms," said Mohol.
Mohol further said he was in the construction business at various places for the last 15 to 20 years. "Should a politician not do business? I conducted clean business. I have nothing to hide," Mohol declared.
"As per the information submitted in my affidavit, I had two Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) firms with Gokhale Builder. Concerning the subject of the Jain Boarding House, I resigned from both these LLPs and exited on November 25, 2024. I have the documents for that. These two were partnership firms. One of which was formed in 2022, and the other in 2023. Even before I resigned from these LLP firms, not a single rupee transaction took place through either of the two firms. Everyone can verify this." Mohol stated.
"The trustees of the Jain Boarding decided to give this land to the developer on December 16, 2024. Following that, they also issued a tender notice regarding this in many newspapers. After this entire process was completed, Gokhale acquired this land on October 8, 2025. If you see, when did this transaction happen? October 8, 2025. And when did I exit? In 2024. So, where is my connection to this matter?" Mohol said.
Respect for Shetti, Ignorance for Dhangekar
"Raju Shetti is a farmers' leader in Maharashtra. I respect him. But he should have spoken to me before making such a big accusation. I could have told him the truth back then, and he wouldn't have made such remarks," Mohol added, speaking about Raju Shetti, chief of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana.
He referred to Dhangekar as a leader from Pune. Dhangekar and Mohol went head-to-head in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The contest was said to be close before the elections, as Dhangekar's popularity in his stint as Kasba Peth MLA was at its peak. However, during elections, Mohol dominated and won comfortably. After that, Dhangekar left Congress in March 2025 and joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Mohol and Dhangekar are both in Mahayuti. Listening to his superiors, Mohol avoided making direct remarks against Dhangekar to avoid a rift in Yuti.
Accusations by Shetti & Dhangekar
Raju Shetti and Ravindra Dhangekar had both levelled serious allegations against Mohol. Shetti accused Mohol of involvement in a ₹3,000-crore land scam related to a Jain boarding house property in Shivajinagar's Model Colony area. He claimed it was sold for only ₹230 crore through Gokhale Construction. He alleged that with Mohol’s support, the Gokhale builder was able to do it. Shetti termed the deal illegal and said it cheated the Jain community.
Dhangekar echoed these charges, calling Mohol a “land thief” and accusing him of using political power to benefit builders. He also criticised Mohol for defending the administration during the Porsche crash case. Dhangekar once again accused the BJP of protecting criminals in Pune. Despite Eknath Shinde, in his last visit to the city, urging Dhangekar not to create a rift in Mahayuti, as all of us are together now, Dhangekar continues to make these allegations. Dhangekar has even hinted at potential whistleblowing after speaking with his party chief, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde.
(With Inputs From ANI)
