IPS Officer Meera Borwankar’s Book Reveals Land Scam Incident (image-mcborwankar)

Former IPS officer Meeran Chadha Borwankar has stirred a new controversy in Maharashtra politics after revealing about a land scam incident in her just launched book ‘Madam Commissioner: The Extraordinary life of an Indian Police Chief’.

The book cited certain references to a political personality pertaining to an alleged land-scam at Yerawada in Pune almost 14 years ago. She alleged that in 2010 she had resisted arm-twisting by Maharashtra Deputy Cheif Minister Ajit Pawar to give three acres of valuable land near Pune, which she later managed to get back through a “tough struggle.”

In her book, she then explains how she was called out by the Guardian Minister for Pune and told her to handover the auctioned land. She then replied to him that Yerawada is the center of Pune and it is needed for police housing and office expansion. She mentioned her meeting with the Minister who held out a huge map of the plot area. He after meeting her asked her to hand over the plot to the bidder as the auction on the land was over.

The minister overruled her and asked her to handover the land which she refused. She then pointed out the flaws in the auction and process and asked why her predecessor hasn’t done it before if it was auctioned. She then added that it will be against police department’s interest.

Then the Minister lost his cool and hurled the map on his glass table. Borwankar then left the room after saluting the Minister.

Though the name of the Minister was not mentioned in the book, he was referred as Dada, the Guardian Minister of Pune district. Ajit Pawar is respectfully referred to as ‘Dada’ in political circles was the Guardian Minister at the time. But Ajit Pawar denied any involvement in that episode.

While Borwankar has chosen to remain silent on the row. Meera Borwankar served as the Pune Police Commissioner between 2010 and 2012.