Pune: Civic activist Vijay Kumbhar has written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding an inquiry into a land deal in the city’s Koregaon Park. Kumbhar alleged that Prakash Pophale — the chartered accountant (CA) for arrested astrologer Ashok Kharat —illegally acquired a prime plot that originally belongs to a public trust.In his letter, Kumbhar raised suspicion that Kharat may have used unaccounted “black money” to secure the 50,000-square-foot property located at Lane 3, Plot 57, in Koregaon Park. Currently, 18 row houses stand on the site.Speaking to TOI, Kumbhar said, “The plot belongs to the RF Mulla Trust. Pophale acquired it in 2024 through illegal means. I have requested the state govt to conduct a detailed investigation into the entire transaction.”The activist claimed that the deal bypassed the mandatory approval process required for trust-owned land. “Since this is a public trust property, it cannot be legally sold without prior permission from the charity commissioner. No such permission was sought,” Kumbhar stated.He further alleged that the parties used an “assignment deed” to circumvent ownership restrictions. “Under an assignment deed, Pophale gains the right to use the property without technical ownership. However, even for such an agreement involving trust land, the charity commissioner’s permission is a legal necessity,” Kumbhar said.The letter urged the state to investigate the source of the funds and determine if any government official facilitated the allegedly illegal deal. TOI reached out to Prakash Pophale for comment, but he did not respond to calls or messages.
