Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Pune court grants Jamadar family permanent possession of Jaystambh land
A court in Pune decided who can stay on land near the Jaystambh monument.
The court protected the possession of some members of the Jamadar-Malvadkar family.
It said the government cannot remove them without following the law.
The disputed area is about 9.25 acres.
The family showed old British documents to support its claim.
One family member’s case was dismissed, while cases brought by two others were allowed.
A private group had argued that the family’s name should be removed from land records.
The site is important because many Ambedkarites visit it each January 1 to remember the Battle of Koregaon Bhima.
A Pune civil court permanently protected the Jamadar-Malvadkar family’s possession of about 9.25 acres at Jaystambh in Perne village.
The court barred the Maharashtra government from disturbing or removing eligible family members without following due legal process.
The court dismissed Captain Balasaheb Jamadar-Malvadkar’s suit but allowed claims by Namdev’s heirs and Ashok Jamadar-Malvadkar.
The family relied on British-era records, including a 1824 sanad granting land linked to Jaystambh to male successors.
The land dispute involves competing interpretations of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima and arrangements for annual January 1 commemorations.
- Who
- The Jamadar-Malvadkar family, the Maharashtra government, BARTI, and the Bhima Koregaon Vijay Stambh Saurakshan and Savardhan Samiti were involved in the dispute.
- What
- A Pune civil court permanently restrained the government from disturbing or dispossessing certain Jamadar family members from Jaystambh and adjoining land without due process.
- When
- The order was passed on Friday; the article also refers to proceedings beginning in 2015 and 2017, and later court orders in 2025 and 2026.
- Where
- Jaystambh and adjoining land in Perne village, Haveli taluka, on the Pune-Ahilyanagar highway in Maharashtra.
- Why
- The family sought protection after claims that its name was illegally recorded on the land and that structures and alleged encroachments should be removed.
Jamadar-Malvadkar family
Opponents and alternative interpretation
Land possession
Jamadar-Malvadkar family
The family says British-era documents, including a 1824 sanad and later orders, support its possession of Jaystambh and adjoining land.
Opponents and alternative interpretation
The Bhima Koregaon Vijay Stambh Saurakshan and Savardhan Samiti alleged that the family’s name was illegally included in the 7/12 land record and sought removal of alleged encroachments.
Use of the site
Jamadar-Malvadkar family
The family sought to remain on the property and argued that the government should not remove its houses, shed, or agricultural produce without legal authority.
Opponents and alternative interpretation
The Samiti said the lack of space at the venue creates difficulties for the large number of visitors attending the January 1 commemoration.
Meaning of the battle
Jamadar-Malvadkar family
The family says soldiers on both the British and Peshwa sides came from different castes, so the battle should not be linked to one caste or religion.
Opponents and alternative interpretation
The Dalit-Ambedkarite narrative described in the article views the battle as a victory by Mahar soldiers in the British Army over the Peshwa force and commemorates it as a fight against alleged casteism.
- Disputed property
- About 9.25 acres at Jaystambh and adjoining land in Perne village
- Court
- Pune civil court, presided over by Joint Civil Judge (Senior Division) Amol Shinde
- Family claim
- The family relied on a British sanad and other records concerning possession of the land
- Historical grant
- The article says the British granted Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar’s family about 260 acres, including Jaystambh and adjoining land, while male successors remained
- Court outcome
- The suits of Namdev Jamadar-Malvadkar’s heirs and Ashok Jamadar-Malvadkar were allowed; Captain Balasaheb Jamadar-Malvadkar’s suit was dismissed
- Government restriction
- The government was permanently restrained from disturbing or dispossessing the protected plaintiffs without following due process
- Annual commemoration
- Lakhs of Ambedkarites visit Jaystambh on January 1 for Shaurya Din