Pune: The Supreme Court has directed the Maharashtra government to transfer 24 acres and 38 gunthas of land in Yewalewadi to Housabai Bahirat.

This order comes after a legal dispute in which Bahirat challenged the state government’s decision to transfer her land in Pashan, Pune, to the Defense Department.

Following Bahirat's petition, the court had earlier admonished the state government and issued a warning regarding the "Ladki Bahin" scheme.

During the Monday (September 9) hearing, the state government submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court expressing its readiness to transfer the land in Yewalewadi as a resolution to the dispute.

The petitioners, including Housabai Bahirat, have agreed to accept the alternate land. The government has committed to completing the land transfer within three months, with a target to finalize the process by the first week of January.

The Supreme Court noted the lack of clarity on the transfer timeline and sought assurance from the state government, which subsequently promised to expedite the process.

Rajesh Kumar, the Secretary of the State Forest Department, presented an apology, which the court accepted, leading to the dismissal of the suo motu contempt petition. The court emphasized the need for the Pune District Collector to personally oversee the transfer of the 24-acre land parcel to the petitioners.

Notably, in the latest proceedings, the court did not mention the "Ladki Bahin" scheme, which had been a point of contention in earlier hearings. The previous admonishment by the court had called for a halt to the "Ladki Bahin" and other unrelated schemes, emphasizing the need for adherence to judicial directives.