In a surprising turn of events, the Defence Estates Officer (DEO) for Pune Circle, Amitkumar Mane, has been transferred and reinstated within 24 hours after sealing four bungalow properties worth Rs 300 crore. The transfer order, issued on a public holiday, cited “public interest” as the reason, but Mane’s quick return came with a medical grounds explanation related to a family member.
The transfer, initiated by the Director-General of Defence Estates (DGDE) on January 22, raised eyebrows as Mane had recently taken bold steps to seal high-value properties and initiate takeover proceedings against a historic club in Pune. The replacement DEO, Rajendra Chandrakant Jagtap, was swiftly announced but didn’t assume the position due to Mane’s reinstatement.
Despite efforts to seek comments from Mane and the Director of Defence Estates, Southern Command, they remained unreachable. Citizen-activist Shailendra Chavan expressed shock, highlighting Mane’s dedication to safeguarding defence land. Chavan stated, “It shows the urgency with which behind-the-scenes things are being moved to stall the probe into the mega defence bungalow land scam.”
Ray, the Director of Defence Estates, had previously initiated a probe into fraudulent land sales and attempted to halt the sale of 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 have brought to light a more extensive issue, with approximately 300 bungalows in the Pune Cantonment Board area and 60 in the Khadki Cantonment Board area.
