Vasai-Virar housing scam: The big red flag that VVMC officials kept ignoring

Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation VVCMC officials are on a caseregistering spree in the multicrore housing scam But a recent FIR registered at Valiv police station actually names a person who raised a red flag about the illegal constructions in July 2019midday has been relentlessly highlighting the multicrore house of cards scam in the VasaiVirar area On August 19 a civic official registered an FIR at Valiv police station against six people for forging documents using fake Commencement Certificates CC etc to construct buildings on Collectorrsquos land given to tribals in Vasai and fraudulently acquiring a RERA number to sell flats in them to buyers and violating the Registration ActVVCMC officials since 2016 have registered five FIRs over the same piece of land survey number 1271A and 1273 measuring 4000 sq metres approximately which belongs to the district Collector Yet the bogus builders constructed six residential buildings on the land and civic officials did not demolish the structures Subsequently the flats were sold to buyers mdash who are now worried about the future of their homesPuja Apartment SuperMogra Apartment Awadh Apartment Sunshine Apartment Lily Apartment and Mahesh Apartment are the illegal buildings constructed in Vasai PicHanif PatelThe bogus builders constructed the buildings by making fake nonagricultural orders for the land from the Thane Collector office ldquoThe bogus builders had constructed six buildings namely Puja Apartment SuperMogra Apartment Awadh Apartment Sunshine Apartment Lily Apartment and Mahesh Apartment on the tribal land which is spread over 4000 sq mrdquo said Patil ldquoNot a single brick would have been placed on the land had the VVCMC officials really been vigilant and honest Will the civic officials reply what were they doing when the buildings were constructedrdquo asked PatilPatil was made an accused in the first and fifth FIRs registered by the VVCMC officials at Valiv police station ldquoThe VVCMC framed me in May 2016 under Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning MRTP Act Subsequently I was arrested in December 2017 by Valiv police I was wrongly presented as an owner of the land which is Collectorrsquos land where the unauthorised buildings were constructed and flats were soldrdquo said Patil ldquoSo after coming out of jail on January 31 2018 I dug out details to know who are actually involved in these unauthorised constructions on tribal land for which I was made a scapegoatrdquo he addedldquoSince all the flats in these unauthorised building had separate electricity metres I filed an RTI on July 16 2019 to know what all documents MSEDCL had sought for them I was shocked to see the RTI reply from MSEDCL as the fraudsters had used my forged credentials including my photographs and signature to get power meters for the flatsrdquo he addedldquoThese builders had used fake documents of my credentials for which I was placed under arrest I gave a threepage complaint about these buildings to Valiv police on August 25 2019 In my complaint I had categorically written that fake documents of my credentials including photographs and signatures have been used by the bogus builders But the Valiv police did not take any action against the scammers Exactly after four years when VVCMC approached cops with the complaint the same police booked me again in 2023rdquo lamented Patil who is wondering how to get out of the messy situationlsquoAlso complained in 2021rsquoPatil had also written a 14page letter to the VVCMC commissioner Town Planner ward officials and MSEDCL on June 5 2021 and given crucial details on how the illegal buildings were constructed on the tribal land who constructed them how duplicate CCs were made duplicate nonagriculture NA orders from Thane Collector office were made to get a RERA number how the bank loans were granted etc ldquoI had also sent them multiple reminders but all the officials were silent and did nothing to help me Today I have been framed again by the VVCMC whose officials have my complaints and reminders sent to them The officials of eight banks were also involved in granting loans to the home buyersrdquo Patil claimedlsquoBack to square onersquoldquoOn July 19 2021 I filed an RTI application to VVCMC to know what actions have been taken against the six buildings on my complaint dated June 7 2021 related to survey number 1271A and 1273 In reply the VVCMCrsquos deputy town planner YS Reddy said lsquoWe have issued a notice under sections of MRTP Act and filed an FIRrsquo And this FIR is against me I am back to square onerdquo said PatilHe also complained to the Thane Collector office on May 23 2022 about the duplicate NA order lsquobut my complaint has not been considered till datersquo he said ldquoThe scammers had also forged 712 details of the tribal land So I had also written a letter to the Talathi office on June 06 2022 But I received no relief from this office toordquo he addedIn February 2022 Patil sent a complaint to the Registrar office Vasai ldquoI had requested the registration be made invalid as bogus CCs and other documents were used by the builders In response the SubRegistrar VS Bhosale had written a letter on March 14 to VVCMC requesting the concerned officials to verify my allegations and file an FIR at a local police station as the CCs are issued by the civic body and if they CC are fake then municipal corporation is bound to register an FIR But despite receiving a letter from the Registrar Office the VVCMC officials did not bother to verify the facts and register an FIR against the accused The civic chief is aware of the correspondence yet no action was taken So the intentions of VVCMC officials are questionablerdquo he addedlsquoWill contact the PMOrsquoldquoAfter the multicrore house of cards scam surfaced in VasaiVirar the Municipal Commissioner Anilkumar Pawar constituted a 10member enquiry committee to probe the whole episode My complaints were sent to all these officials in the past Why did they not investigate at that time Were they sleeping when the unauthorised buildings were brazenly constructed with bogus CCs and forged documents I will request the Prime Ministerrsquos Office PMO to look into the issue of Vasai Virar where the civic officials have been misusing their powers to falsely implicate innocent people whose genuine complaints are not heard There is total anarchy in the VVCMC office The bank accounts of all the civic officials and their close relatives must be scrutinised to actually evaluate the scale of this multicrore scam The CBI must take over the case and Enforcement Directorate ED officials must intervenerdquo Patil saidldquoI have written complaints to VVCMC officials to find what action they have taken against the six unauthorised buildings constructed on the tribal land in Valiv I have been falsely booked because the bogus builders have forged my credentials But the civic officials are doing nothing Tell me where should I go nowrdquo added Patil who has been residing at an undisclosed location to evade arrestCalls and messages to VVCMC Commissioner Pawar went unanswered A senior police officer of Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar MBVV police said ldquoInvestigations are underway We are scanning all the old files related to these FIRs He Chandu Patil is a coaccused in these FIRs We will also check if he has complained to police in past In case he has not till date he can go to the nearest police station and complain if his credentials have been fraudulently used by the scammersrdquo