Pune, Oct 27 (PTI) Amid controversy over the sale of a prime property belonging to a Jain trust in Pune, the private builder involved has written to the trust seeking cancellation of the deal.
In an email communication, Vishal Gokhale, partner at Gokhale Landmarks LLP, on Sunday wrote to the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Smarak Trust, informing the trustees of his decision to withdraw from the transaction and requesting cancellation of the sale deed.
He cited “several false and misleading rumours” circulating in the public domain that suggested irregularities in the deal and attributed motives to the parties involved.
Some people against the property deal shared screenshots of the email communication on social media.
The upmarket property in Model Colony, measuring around 12,000 square metres (3.5 acres), houses a decades-old Jain boarding facility and the Shri Bhagwan Mahavir Digambar Jain Temple, both under the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Smarak Trust, a charitable trust established in 1958.
The property had been acquired by Pune-based Gokhale Constructions for Rs 311 crore from the trust. However, students, alumni, religious leaders and community members opposed the deal, calling it “illegal” and arguing that the trust’s constitution does not allow the sale of the property.
On Monday, workers of the Opposition NCP (SP) and Congress city units staged a protest outside the Charity Commissioner’s Office in Pune, seeking that the sale of the property be cancelled.
In the email to the trust, Gokhale stated, “Despite having followed the entire process strictly in accordance with the order of the Charity Commissioner dated April 4, 2025, several false and misleading rumours have been circulated in the public domain, suggesting irregularities in the transaction and attributing motives that are entirely untrue.” Pune Lok Sabha member Murlidhar Mohol’s name was also allegedly linked to the deal, as he had been a partner in Gokhale Constructions. Mohol has, however, clarified that he had withdrawn from the partnership well before the deal was finalised.
Gokhale, in the email, said “baseless allegations” had seriously damaged his professional reputation and that of his firm, creating unwarranted social unrest and misunderstanding among sections of the Jain community.
He said the transaction was conducted through a fair and open tender process, but growing religious, social and political interference had compelled him to reconsider his position.
While stating that the redevelopment would have benefitted the trust and its students without affecting the temple on the premises, Gokhale expressed regret that the matter had been “unnecessarily drawn into political and social discourse,” causing distress to many well-intentioned individuals.
“Out of moral responsibility and respect for the sentiments of the Jain community, I do not wish to proceed with this transaction or the construction of the hostel building. It would not be appropriate or ethical for me to continue with a project that, even indirectly, might be perceived as hurting the faith or emotions of any section of society,” he wrote.
Gokhale, in the mail, requested the trust to cancel the deal and refund the Rs 230 crore paid to it.
The Gokhale Constructions and the trust members could be reached for comment on the matter. PTI SPK GK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.