Mumbai rains: Vasai landslide exposes builder-chawl mafia

The relatives of land owner Mary Felix Gracias were shocked that her name is mentioned in both the FIRs in connection with the Vasai landslide incident as she passed away in 2009 Two people lost their lives early this week in the landslide The crime branch has arrested Ajit Raisahab Singh alias Mantu Singh owner of Mitwa Realty in the caseGraciasrsquos granddaughter Serena Fernandes contacted this reporter to talk about the matter ldquoI am really shocked to know that my grandmother has been named in two FIRs in connection with the tragic incident in Vasairdquo said Fernandes a senior executive at an MNC in Bandra Kurla Complex BKCAssistant Municipal Commissioner AMC Neelam Nijai is the complainant in both the FIRs in which five people including land owner Gracias builder Mantu Singh and others have been made accused under Section 304 of IPC and various sections of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning MRTP ActAlso readVasai landslide Five booked in two separate FIRsThe other structures built on the plot PicsHanif PatelldquoMy grandmother passed away on September 30 2009 The VVCMC knows well that Mary Felix Gracias is no more as her death certificate was issued by it on October 5 2009 Then why did the AMC Neelam Nijai defame my grandmother by making her a coaccusedrdquo asked FernandesldquoThere are 60 names in the extracts of 712 of survey number 146 1 Rajiwali Vasai where the landslide claimed two lives What is the intention of the municipal corporation behind only naming one person ie my grandmother and that too in two FIRsrdquo asked FernandesldquoThe civic body has all the information including names in the extracts of 712 and our land which is under litigation But the complainant has not given the address of my grandmother in the FIR Why The intention of this assistant municipal commissioner is questionablerdquo Fernandes told middayRudolph Gracias nephew of the land ownerShe claimed a civic official told her the complainantrsquos intention ldquocould be to keep these two cases unsolved so that the strong nexus between the corrupt civic officials and chawlbuilder mafias is not unravelledrdquo ldquoThis is why Nijai deliberately put my grandmotherrsquos name in the FIR despite knowing she is no more and kept my grandmotherrsquos address undisclosed so that the probe team cannot reach herrdquo Fernandes claimedAbout the landGraciasrsquo nephew Rudolf Gracias said ldquoThere are three parts of plot survey number 146 Part 1 belongs to our Gracias family It is a 15acre land which is under litigation and the civil suit is pending at Vasai court ldquoTalking about the background of Gracias 64yearold Rudolf said ldquoOne of her daughters lives in Canada another lives in Marol Andheri Her eldest daughter lives in Vasai but she is handicapped One of her three sons passed away another one has slipped into coma as he has brain tumourrdquoldquoBuilders started to encroach upon the farm land and damaging the yields The names of 60 people are there in the 711 extract So itrsquos a combined property but it is under litigation which the builders took advantage to construct chawls to trap innocent home buyersrdquo he added ldquoGracias has purposely been made coaccused in the FIRs as those concerned know about her children and that they cannot take a strong stand in her support This is really very sadrdquo said RudolfThe investigationmidday has learnt that crime branch officials have written a letter to civic commissioner the complainant AMC and Assistant Town Planning Officer ATPO to investigate into the sections of MRTP Act mentioned in the FIRA senior crime branch officer said ldquoDid the complainant visit the area and conduct a survey to know about the illegality of the land Did she conduct panchnamas undersigned by at least two panchas Does she have any photographs of the illegal work Was any notice given to the builder land owner or the tenant or the trio Was sufficient time period of 15 or 30 days given to them to adhere to the government norms We need clarity on each questionrdquoldquoAnd if there is no survey report no panchnama no photographs of any illegal or unauthorised construction how have they insisted on the MRTP Act in the FIRrdquo said another crime branch officerWhen asked Nijai quipped ldquoHow can we conduct a survey when the structure got damaged in the landslide Irsquove taken charge as AMC hardly three months ago These structures were built during my predecessorrsquos tenure Ask himrdquoComplaints made earlierA crime branch officer said many social activists and political parties had made complaints to the civic body in the past two three years regarding the unauthorised construction in Wagralpada area in Rajiwali Vasai East Crime branch officials arrested one accused Ajit Singh alias Mantu Singh from Kandivli on Thursday night in the case ldquoSince the 15acre land is under litigation smalltime buildersmdashunder the shelter of big playersmdashencroached on it and made around 30 rooms illegally and sold them There are multiple chains of agreements and we will call everyone for questioningrdquo the crime branch officer said5No of people booked in two separate FIRs