07 December,2011 07:24 AM IST | | Akela
Acting on Bombay High Court's directive, an FIR has been lodged against the top cop, CIDCO and MSEB officials, and a local builder for flouting construction norms in a tower in Khargar
Acting on Bombay High Court's directive, the Kharghar police lodged an FIR against DCP Dattatray Shinde (Navi Mumbai), top CIDCO and MSEB officials and Abhishek Builders and Developers, under several sections of the IPC.
They have been accused of forging documents and cheating the government for gaining extra floor space index (FSI) for the construction of a 21-storey tower in Kharghar.
In dispute: FSI norms were allegedly violated during the construction
of the 21-storey Green Heritage in Kharghar. FILE PIC
Based on Pramod Mittal's complaint, an estate agent, the police booked the accused under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonestly), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
FIR lodged
"Acting on the honourable High Court's directives, I have registered an FIR against DCP Shinde, the builder, CIDCO and MSEB officials. Further investigations are on," said Ashok Satpute, inspector, Kharghar police station.
Violations
As per the FIR (copy available with MiD DAY), Abhishek Builders and Developers, who constructed the 21-storey Green Heritage in Kharghar, had initially sought permission from CIDCO for constructing 97 flats, 20 shops and two offices. However, the developers constructed 160 flats, 38 shops and eight offices. Besides, they even violated the FSI norms and gobbled 3,600 sqm. In 2009, citing discrepancies, CIDCO refused to issue Occupancy Certificate (OC). Despite this, the developers went ahead and handed over the constructed flats to 104 owners.
Crooked builders
As soon as the flat owners discovered the irregularities observed during the construction of the tower, they caught Mittal, through whom they had purchased their flats, as he was the builder's authorised agent. To make matters worse, on February 18, 2009, the Income Tax Department raided the builders' office.
During the raid, the I-T officials discovered that the builders carried out their financial transactions via Mittal's bank account. Later, a notice was issued to Mittal, asking him to clear dues worth Rs 5.60 crore. Baffled by the ongoing proceedings against him, Mittal approached the developers, asking them to clear the dues. However, he was in for a rude shock when the developers washed their hands off the matter and asked him to clear the dues on his own.
Apathetic officials
A harrowed Mittal then approached the Navi Mumbai police commissioner, Ahmed Javed, on August 25, who forwarded the matter to the DCP (crime) Shinde for further investigations. Later, on September 6, 2011, Mittal lodged a complaint with the CIDCO, asking the developmental body to initiate action against the builder.
"Despite providing relevant documents against the builders, neither the police, nor the CIDCO officials took my complaint seriously. Even the police in its report had stated that the case was criminal in nature, but DCP Shinde sat on the report. He even tried converting the criminal case into a civil case. Finally I approached the High Court and on November 30, the court ordered the police to register an FIR in the matter," said Mittal.
The other side
When contacted, Tanaji Satre, vice president, CIDCO, said, "I have heard about the FIR. Currently, CIDCO authorities have initiated action against the developers under the MRTP Act."
"I am not aware about the FIR against me. As per my knowledge, the matter is very old and I can assure that I'm not at all involved in it," stated Pramod Hindurao, president, CIDCO.
On hearing the publication's name the reporter was calling from, DCP Shinde disconnected the call.