Jain Community Holds Massive March in Pune Against Sale of Historic Boarding Land
Pune, 17th October 2025: The Jain community from across Maharashtra staged a massive peaceful protest march in Pune on Friday to oppose the reported sale of land belonging to the Sheth Hirachand Nemchand Jain Digambar Boarding in Model Colony. Alleging that the trustees of the boarding’s public charitable trust had illegally sold the land to developers, community members demanded immediate cancellation of the deal and protection of the temple and hostel located on the premises.
Chanting slogans such as “Ahimsa Paramo Dharma Ki Jai,” “Stop the business of religion,” and “Save the land of Sheth Hirachand Nemchand Jain Digambar Boarding,” thousands of Jain community members from all four sects marched from the Jain Boarding premises to the Pune District Collector’s Office. The demonstration was organized by the Jain Boarding Bachao Kriti Samiti.
Leading the march were revered Jain saints, including Acharya Gurudev Shri Guptinandji Maharaj, Tirthesh Rishiji, and Mataji Maharaj. Several political leaders, including Abhay Chhajed, Prashant Jagtap, MLA Siddharth Shirole, Arvind Shinde, and MLA Ravindra Dhangekar, also extended their support to the protesters.
At a gathering before the march, Acharya Gurudev Shri Guptinandji Maharaj declared that the sale of the boarding land was illegal and urged the community to stand united against the move. Protesters, many wearing black ribbons and carrying placards, peacefully walked via Sancheti Hospital and Juna Bazar to the District Collector’s Office, where they submitted a detailed memorandum.
The representation stated that the Sheth Hirachand Nemchand Memorial Trust, established in 1958, owns approximately 12,000 square meters of land in Model Colony. The land houses the Sheth Hirachand Nemchand Digambar Jain Boarding and the Shri 1008 Bhagwan Mahavir Digambar Jain Temple, both significant from religious, social, and educational perspectives. The community alleged that despite the matter being sub judice, certain individuals had entered into dealings with developers and allowed unauthorized development activities on the property.
The memorandum demanded that the sale agreement and the subsequent loan agreement signed between the trust and the developer on October 8, 2025, be cancelled, and that the property continue to serve its original charitable purpose.
Prominent community members and petitioners, including Akshay Jain, Anand Kankaria, Swapnil Gangwal, Adv. Yogesh Pandey, Adv. Sukaushal Jinturkar, Chandrakant Patil, Anna Patil, and Adv. Swapnil Bafna, along with several alumni and youth activists, participated in the march.
Chief Minister Assures Cooperation
Meanwhile, representatives of the Jain community — including Laxmikant Khabia, Adv. Yogesh Pandey, and Anand Kankaria — met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Pune on Thursday (October 16) to apprise him of the situation. Khabia said that the Chief Minister had taken note of the matter, reviewed the legal aspects, and assured the delegation that there would be no injustice regarding the temple and hostel. Fadnavis also spoke with senior members of the Jain community over the phone and promised full cooperation to ensure a fair resolution.
