National News
Pune APMC Seeks ₹17.94 Crore Stamp Duty Waiver After Controversial Land Deal Linked To Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s Family
Mumbai: Even before the controversy over the waiver of stamp duty worth Rs 21 crore in a Rs 300 crore Pune land deal involving Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s family has cooled, another case is waiting in the wings — this time for a hefty Rs 17.94 crore waiver sought by the Pune Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC).
The APMC, which has long been under the influence of Pawar through its board of directors, has sought exemption from paying stamp duty for registering the sale deed of a 99.27-acre land parcel purchased from the Yashwant Cooperative Sugar Mill near Pune. The sugar mill was declared a sick unit nearly two decades ago. What raises eyebrows is the price — the APMC purchased the land for Rs 299 crore, even though several auction attempts had failed earlier when the highest bid hovered around Rs 120 crore.
The state government, in September, cleared the sale of land by the sugar mill, but notably refrained from approving the APMC’s purchase proposal. Records show that the APMC had first sought approval for the purchase in December last year from the director of the state marketing department. The director, after forwarding the proposal to Mantralaya, was told by the government to decide as per existing policies and legal provisions. Eventually, the director gave his go-ahead, enabling the APMC to proceed with the purchase.
The APMC is expected to take a bank loan for the transaction even though it already holds deposits of Rs 135 crore. After receiving the director’s nod, the APMC made a formal representation to Deputy CM Pawar last month seeking a waiver of Rs 17.94 crore in stamp duty — a request directed to the Revenue Department headed by BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The Free Press Journal has a copy of this representation. As per established rules, the authority to grant a stamp duty waiver lies exclusively with the state cabinet — not with any minister or bureaucrat.
Whether the Devendra Fadnavis-led government approves this waiver, especially after the earlier Mundhwa land deal worth over Rs 2,000 crore drew sharp scrutiny, will be closely watched in the coming days.
Crime
Mumbai Customs Foils Smuggling Attempt, Seizes ₹14 Crore Worth Of Hydro Ganja At CSMIA

The Mumbai Customs Department has seized 14 crore rupees worth of hydro ganja and smuggled gold in five separate operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport between November 6 and 9. Officials from Zone 3 of the Customs Department carried out the operations, which led to the arrest of multiple passengers arriving from Bangkok, Phuket, and Nairobi.
The first seizure took place on November 6, when a passenger arriving from Bangkok was found carrying 2.87 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis valued at Rs 2.87 crore. The next day, two more passengers flying in from Phuket were caught with nearly 4 kilograms of hydro cannabis, worth approximately Rs 4.2 crore.
On November 8, Customs officials intercepted more passengers arriving from Bangkok and Nairobi, recovering additional hydro cannabis and smuggled 22-carat gold bars weighing 358 grams. The estimated value of the gold is Rs 3.7 lakh.
In total, 13 kilograms and 84 grams of hydro ganja and 358 grams of gold were confiscated over three days. Customs officials stated that strict surveillance measures are being maintained at the airport, and all attempts to smuggle narcotics or gold will be firmly dealt with.
Hydroponic cannabis, often called hydro cannabis, is grown without soil using a nutrient-rich water solution. Common in Thailand, this method enables cultivators to precisely control growing conditions, resulting in faster growth and higher yields. These plants are usually grown indoors under LED or HPS lights, with regulated temperature, humidity, and nutrients. The increasing production of hydro cannabis in Thailand has led to rising smuggling attempts into India.
National News
‘Shameless’: BJP on Congress ‘politicising’ Delhi blast

New Delhi, Nov 11: A day after the terror attack near Delhi’s Red Fort, the BJP on Tuesday hit out at the “shameless” Congress for “working against national interest”, deprecating the Opposition parties’ bid to “politicise” the tragedy in which eight people were killed.
“If being shameless and working against national interest had a face, it would look exactly like the Congress,” said BJP leader Amit Malviya.
“The problem with our Opposition and the loony far-Left ecosystem is that they simply do not know how to stand with the country in times of need,” said Malviya, incharge of BJP’s National Information and Technology Department, on X.
“Soon after Pahalgam, they whined endlessly, demanding retribution. But the moment Operation Sindoor crushed terror networks, they began croaking for ‘peace’ – some even discovering newfound ancestral ties to Pakistan,” said the BJP leader.
“And now, instead of standing with India, they’re busy politicising the Delhi blast, questioning the government even as evidence points to a massive crackdown that has busted several terror modules, averted major strikes, and led to the arrest of dreaded operatives. Our intelligence agencies are hot on their heels,” he said.
Malviya said, “While top government functionaries are monitoring the situation closely and reassuring the nation, the Leader of Opposition and his sister, the second-in-command in Congress, are reportedly on yet another foreign leisure trip.”
The BJP leader’s stinging criticism of the Congress and its allies coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, while speaking in Bhutan, assured action against the conspirators behind the blast.
He stated that Indian agencies will get to the bottom of the conspiracy and assured that those behind the blast “will not be spared”.
In his remarks at Changlimethang Ground in Thimphu, PM Modi said that India and Bhutan have shared a deep spiritual and cultural bond for centuries.
He said, “Today is a very important day for Bhutan, for the Bhutanese royal family, and for all who believe in world peace. India and Bhutan have shared a deep spiritual and cultural bond for centuries. And therefore, it was India’s and my commitment to participate in this important occasion.”
“Today, I come here with a very heavy heart. The horrific incident that took place in Delhi yesterday evening has deeply saddened everyone. I understand the grief of the affected families. Today, the entire nation stands with them. I was in touch with all the agencies investigating this incident throughout last night… Our agencies will get to the bottom of this conspiracy. The conspirators behind this will not be spared. All those responsible will be brought to justice,” he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also chaired a meeting at his residence with top officials regarding the car blast near Red Fort Metro Station.
Business
Tomato Prices In Mumbai Surge – Know What Are The Current Rates

Navi Mumbai: The APMC wholesale vegetable market saw an increase in tomato prices by over 30 percent in first week of November as compared to the prices in October 2025. According to the report, prices of tomatoes in October were sold in APMC at Rs 16 -20 per kg and have now increased to Rs 20-28 per Kg.
The supply of tomatoes have also reduced on Monday, as report by Loksatta stated that only 2238 quintals of tomatoes arrived in the APMC Market.
According to the report, traders said that cold weather and imbalance production of tomatoes led to the increase in price, adding that in the last few days, the supply of goods from Nashik, Pune and Nagar areas also reduced.
According to the report, farmers have cautioned about crop damage caused by unseasonal rainfall and the current cold weather, stating that there is a significant chance that the produced crop’s flowers and buds will fall.
Several other reports added that the price of green peas, cluster beans have also gone up. Price of green peas increased to Rs 280 per kg, cluster beans reached Rs 200 per kg while that of Tinda (Indian round gourd) have rised to Rs 50 for 250 grams.
According to Regional Meteorological Center,Mumbai, the climate in Pune, Nashik is expected to see dry climate till November 15. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai scientist Shubhangi Bhute added that, “there are no signs of unseasonal rainfall currently. With the northeasterly winds prevailing, the temperature will drop. The weather will be dry and skies will be clear.”
-
Crime3 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra1 year agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra1 year agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra1 year agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News1 year agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra12 months agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News1 year agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime1 year agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
