Massive Corruption Alleged in Pune APMC Leading ₹200 Crore Scam.

Pune APMC Scam

• ₹200 Crore Misappropriation Exposed

• Bogus Licenses and Illegal Rentals Surface

• Illegal Rentals Yield Crores in Black Income

The Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has been rocked by a ₹200 crore scam involving bogus licenses, illegal rentals, and systematic farmer exploitation through parking fees. A Sprouts probe reveals directors allegedly diverted assets, misused political names, and allotted stalls to relatives, while extorting farmers through ghost employees and parking fee scams. Whistleblowers are demanding a forensic audit to uncover the depth of corruption. Directors allegedly misused political names, diverted market assets like G-56 plots, and allotted stalls to relatives. Farmers remain the worst-hit, with Sprouts SIT demanding a forensic audit.

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Massive Corruption Alleged in Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee

The Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is once again in the spotlight after allegations of a ₹200 crore misappropriation scandal. According to complaints reviewed by the Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT), rampant corruption has taken place in contractor appointments, security guard outsourcing, daily wage staff recruitment, shop allocations, and open land utilization.
Whistleblowers allege that the names of senior political leaders, including Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar, have been misused in several of these transactions. Farmers claim they have been systematically looted through fake licenses, illegal rentals, and extortion under the guise of parking fees.

4,000 Bogus Licenses Against 1,000 Genuine Traders

At the heart of the scam lies the fraudulent issuance of trading licenses. While only 900 to 1,000 genuine traders operate in the market, nearly 4,000 bogus licenses have been issued. These fake permits, issued under the garb of official sanction, have created a parallel black market, forcing farmers to pay bribes and commissions.
This practice not only inflates market numbers artificially but also facilitates hawala-style money laundering and black-money circulation, investigators told Sprouts SIT. Farmers, the supposed beneficiaries of the market system, remain the biggest victims.

G-56 Land Block: Illegal Rentals Yielding ₹80 Lakh a Month

A prime focus of the irregularities is the G-56 open land block within the APMC premises. Sources reveal that 56 market spaces were illegally occupied by directors and later rented out to private players. The rent collections amount to ₹70–80 lakh per month, siphoned off without entering official accounts.
Director Ganesh Ghule has been specifically named for misusing his authority by handing over these market spaces to select individuals for personal gain. The case highlights how public assets meant for farmers have been converted into private income streams.

Also Read: Senior Lodha Executive Arrested in ₹85 Crore Real Estate Fraud.

Parking and Daily Wages: Farmers and Workers Exploited

Another layer of corruption is seen in parking fee collections. Although the official parking receipt is only ₹10, transporters and farmers are allegedly forced to pay ₹200–₹300 per entry. This extortion has become a daily burden on the agrarian community.
Similarly, bogus salary bills are being raised in the name of non-existent daily wage staff and security guards. Investigators claim the directors pocket the salaries of ghost employees, draining public funds while real workers continue to struggle for timely wages.

Flower Market Allocations Favor Relatives of Directors

The allocation of shops in Pune’s flower market has also raised eyebrows. Several stalls have reportedly been allotted not to genuine applicants but to relatives and close associates of APMC directors. This practice has created monopolies within the market, undermining transparency and pushing small traders out of business.
According to insiders, the lack of oversight from state authorities has emboldened directors to act with impunity, while farmers continue to suffer financial losses.

Sprouts SIT Calls for Probe and Policy Accountability

The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) has documented these irregularities through testimonies, financial trails, and internal committee records. The magnitude of the alleged corruption—estimated at ₹200 crore—raises questions about the regulatory role of the Maharashtra State Marketing Board and the state agriculture department.

Experts warn that unless immediate corrective measures are taken, APMCs across Maharashtra may become hotbeds of hawala transactions, illegal rentals, and black-market operations. Farmers’ unions are now demanding a forensic audit and independent investigation into the Pune APMC scandal.

Speaking to Sprouts News, Pune APMC chairman Prakash Jagtap strongly denied the allegations, calling them baseless and politically motivated. He insisted that all committee decisions were taken transparently and within legal frameworks.