The Bombay High Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) on December 22, 2025. The petition sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against senior NCP leader Sharad Pawar, his daughter Supriya Sule, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The PIL alleged irregular permissions were granted for the Lavasa hill station project in Pune district. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad ruled that the petitioner, advocate Nanasaheb Jadhav, failed to show any statutory basis for the relief sought. The Bench stated, "While exercising civil jurisdiction, this court cannot pass a direction to the police to register an FIR," adding that the PIL lacked merit. A detailed order is awaited. The PIL asked for a CBI probe into claims that the Pawars helped grant special permissions for Lavasa under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act. The petitioner complained that the Pune Police did not act on his December 2018 complaint. In February 2022, the High Court had refused to interfere when Mr. Jadhav challenged the legality of Lavasa permissions, but noted "some exertion of influence and clout" by Sharad Pawar and his daughter. The latest petition, filed in 2023, repeated similar claims. The Bench called the PIL "repetitive" and said no new evidence was presented. "The petitioner has made similar allegations again and again," the judges observed. Sharad Pawar opposed the PIL through an intervention application filed in March 2025. He called the case "harassment without evidence" and said the accusations were "baseless and politically motivated." The Lavasa project, planned as India’s first private city near Pune in the Western Ghats, has faced legal and environmental challenges for over ten years. Issues include violations of environmental laws, forest land encroachment, and politically influenced clearances. In 2011, the Union Environment Ministry ordered a stop to work citing Environment Protection Act violations. Reports and the Comptroller and Auditor General have flagged lapses in land acquisition and regulatory oversight. The High Court reserved its order on December 16 after hearing both sides and delivered the verdict on December 22, 2025.