Pune: Defence Estates Officer Transferred ‘In Public Interest’ After Sealing Bungalows Worth Rs 300 Crore For Illegal Sale, Reinstated Within 24 Hours

Camp, 24th January 2024: Amidst controversy, Defence Estates Officer (DEO) for Pune Circle, Amitkumar Mane, who garnered attention for sealing four bungalow properties amounting to Rs 300 crore, and initiating takeover proceedings against the Camp’s oldest club for non-payment of dues and lease expiry, found himself transferred and reinstated within 24 hours.

The initial transfer, issued by the Director-General of Defence Estates (DGDE) on January 22, a public holiday due to the consecration of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, moved Mane out of his position as DEO. The order, addressed to the Principal Director of Defence Estates, Southern Command, stated, “The transfer of SAG-level IDES officer is ordered with immediate effect, keeping in view the exigencies as well as public interest.”

The replacement DEO for Pune was announced as Rajendra Chandrakant Jagtap, an IDES officer of the 2001 batch and the current Joint Director of Defence Estates, Southern Command. However, Mane’s swift reinstatement came with a fresh order citing medical grounds for a family member as the reason.

Despite attempts to contact Mane for comments, he remained unreachable, and Saurav Ray, the Director of Defence Estates, Southern Command, could not be reached either.

Citizen-activist Shailendra Chavan expressed shock at Mane’s transfer, emphasizing the officer’s commitment to protecting defence land. Chavan remarked, “It shows the urgency with which behind-the-scenes things are being moved to stall the probe into the mega defence bungalow land scam which has been unearthed for the first time in the history of independent India.”

Ray had initially initiated the probe into fraudulent land sales and sought to halt the sale of all defence bungalows, declaring them as central government properties immune to sale.

Chronology of Recent Actions by DEO Pune:
– December 2023: Resumption notice issued to New Club (Poona) Ltd for non-payment of dues worth Rs 17 crore and lease expiry.
– January 19, 2024: Sealed Red House, a British-era heritage property costing Rs 50 crore.
– January 10, 2024: Sealed a sprawling two-acre bungalow at Cross Road costing Rs 100 crore.
– January 13, 2024: Sealed two bungalows, including an Old Grant Bungalow (OGB) and Bungalow Number 22, totaling over Rs 100 crore.

The DEO’s actions revealed a larger issue, with approximately 300 bungalows in the Pune Cantonment Board area and 60 in the Khadki Cantonment Board area.