Sale of Jain trust property to builder: Huge protest march held against deal in Pune

Thousands of Jains held a protest in Pune against the proposed sale of a prime property belonging to the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Jain Digambar Boarding to a private builder.

The upmarket property in Model Colony, measuring about 12,000 square metres (3.5 acres ), houses a several-decades-old Jain boarding facility and the Shri Bhagwan Mahavir Digambar Jain Temple, both of which are part of the Seth Hirachand Nemchand Smarak Trust, a charitable trust established in 1958.

The said property has been acquired by Pune-based Gokhale Constructions for Rs 311 crore from Seth Hirachand Nemchand Memorial Trust.

However, protestors on Friday under the banner of 'Jain Boarding Bachav Kruti Samiti' alleged that a few trustees have entered into an agreement with the developer and sold the property in violation of the trust's constitution.

''Citing lack of funds and the dilapidated condition of the boarding, the trustees, without exploring alternative options mentioned in the original trust deed, decided to sell the property and approached the Charity Commissioner seeking permission to do so,'' said Anand Kankriya, ex-student of HND boarding and director of Association of SHND Hostel Alumni (ASHA).

''The Charity Commissioner relied solely on the trustees' submission that the boarding structure was in a dilapidated condition and approved the sale. ASHA has approached the Bombay High Court challenging the Charity Commissioner's order allowing the sale of the property. The Charity Commissioner, Seth Hirachand Nemchand Smarak Trust, Gokhale Landmark LLP, and the state of Maharashtra have been made respondents,'' he added.

The Seth Hirachand Nemchand Memorial Trust was formed in 1958 with the objective to provide education and medical relief to the poor, and a hostel facility for students, Kankriya pointed out.

Akshay Jain, one of the convenors of the agitation and Maharashtra Youth Congress general secretary, alleged the sale was illegal and claimed there was resentment among community members over this issue.

''Today, a massive rally was taken out from the Boarding premises to the Pune collector's office. We submitted a memorandum demanding the cancellation of the disputed sale. The protest march was led by Jain monks Acharya Gurudev Shri Guptinandji Maharaj, Tirthesh Rishiji, and Mataji Maharaj,'' he said.

In a statement, Chakor Doshi, chairman of Seth Hirachand Nemchand Smarak Trust, denied all the allegations.

''The trust has followed all the legal process, and the sale was executed only after obtaining due permissions from the Charity Commissioner. ASHA organisation, which was formed in July 2025 under the Companies Act, has been spreading fake information that the temple on the premises will be razed, thus instigating the community,'' he said in the statement.

The statement added that Gokhale Landmarks will be constructing a hostel on approximately 52,000 square feet, bigger than the existing one on 18,200 square feet.

The money received from the developer will be used for the objectives of the trust,'' the statement said.

Meanwhile, the public relations agency of Gokhale Constructions refused to comment, claiming the matter was sub judice.

According to an old release from Gokhale Constructions, the firm plans to undertake the development of a 16 lakh square feet, ultra-premium residential space, along with high-end retail, at this top-notch location with a revenue potential of Rs 2,500 crore.

This proposed development will also integrate a hostel, spread across 51,000 square feet, with all modern facilities, making the existing Jain temple bigger and better, the release stated.

The release was issued in May 2025 when the developer had acquired the 3.5-acre land of HND Trust in Model Colony.