Pune, 6th August 2025: A political storm has erupted in Pune after Congress worker Sagar Dhawde alleged that a building owned by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), valued at around ₹3.5 crore, was leased to BJP’s Pune city president Dheeraj Ghate for a nominal amount. The property is situated in the Sane Guruji Housing Society near Dandekar Bridge and includes the Bhanu Gajge gymnasium and other structures.
According to Dhawde, the lease agreement, signed on May 21, 2025, with the Sane Guruji Tarun Mandal was executed in an illegal and opaque manner. The annual rent set for the premises was just ₹21,000, which he claims is a gross under-valuation.
He further alleged that the trust documents submitted are from 2002 and that no updates or change reports have been filed with the Charity Commissioner since then. While Ghate has mentioned Shivaji Javeer as the vice president of the Mandal, the official records still list Dhananjay Jadhav in that role. Dhawde also claimed that the trust has failed to submit mandatory annual and audit reports.
Adding to the controversy, Dhawde alleged that donations collected during Ganesh Utsav by the Mandal are being misused by Ghate for personal political gain. He has obtained the information through the Right to Information (RTI) Act and has demanded a probe into the lease and a legal review of its validity.
Responding to the allegations, Dheeraj Ghate dismissed them as baseless and politically motivated, especially with PMC elections nearing. He stated that the property in question is located within a housing colony for Class IV municipal employees and that the gym operates specifically for them, justifying the low rent.
Ghate also highlighted that the Sane Guruji Mandal is a reputed cultural body in Pune, drawing huge crowds each year for its Ganesh festival celebrations.
He maintained that the accusations were driven by personal animosity and aimed at creating unnecessary controversy.