Pune: Builder Vishal Gokhale Cancels HND Jain Boarding Land Deal Amid Rising Political Controversy

Reported by Mubarak Ansari

Shivajinagar, 27th October 2025: The controversy surrounding the HND Jain Boarding land deal in Pune took a new turn after builder Vishal Gokhale announced that he has decided to cancel the land purchase. Gokhale stated that the decision was taken on moral grounds and to avoid hurting the sentiments of the Jain community.

The issue had triggered intense political debate over the past two weeks after former MLA Ravindra Dhangekar launched a series of allegations against Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol, accusing him of being linked to the land deal. Mohol, however, had clarified that he was not involved in any way.

In an email to the Jain Boarding House Trust, Gokhale confirmed his withdrawal from the deal. “We did not want to hurt the sentiments of the Jain community, and hence, we decided to step away from this transaction,” he wrote.

Following the controversy, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetty and Dhangekar had taken an aggressive stand, demanding that the land deal be scrapped. Responding to the growing uproar, Mohol had also met Jain monks and expressed solidarity with the community. During the meeting, a section of Jain devotees raised slogans against him.

Raju Shetty had personally appealed to Gokhale to cancel the deal, and it is learned that he has been informed about the latest decision.