MUMBAI, April 30 -- The state government has set up a committee to investigate the assets and land dealings of Rajendra Popat Ghanwat, an aide of former minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, who was forced to resign in the wake of the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The panel will be headed by Pune divisional commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar. Ghanwat is a director in Venkateshwara Industrial Services, along with Rajshree Munde, wife of Dhananjay Munde. He was accused of fraudulent practices at the expense of farmers. Social activist Anjali Damania had claimed that the duo had exploited 11 farmers, forcing them to sell land worth Rs.20 crore for just Rs.8 lakh. The committee set up by the state will include as its members Ravindra Binwade, inspector-general of stamps and registration, Suhas Diwase, commissioner of land records, and one additional collector from Pune. It will probe Ghanwat's land deals and that of his relatives, including Popatshet Maruti Ghanwat and Ghanwat Agro Private Limited. It will also examine non-agricultural land bought by them. The committee will ascertain whether Ghanwat has given compensation that is lower than the market rate. It has also been asked to find how much land belonging to scheduled tribes and how much Mahar Watan land has been bought by the Ghanwats without the sanction of the state government. It will also ascertain whether any criminal offences have been registered against the Ghanwats in Maharashtra. The committee will submit its report to the state revenue department in a month. Earlier this month, state revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule ordered a preliminary investigation against the Ghanwats for allegedly cheating farmers in Pune district and fraudulently acquiring their land. The allegations were made by a group of farmers who met the revenue minister along with Damania in April. Most of the farmers were from Pait village in Rajgurunagar in Pune district. The allegations against Ghanwat's family will add pressure on Munde, who resigned as civil supplies minister last month after another of his aides Walmik Karad was named as one of the main accused in the Beed sarpanch murder case....