PIL seeks FIR against ‘landsharks’

A PIL filed in the Bombay High Court has alleged that “land sharks” have allegedly usurped land in the Borla Village in Chembur, that is vested with the Children’s Aid Society (CAS), and sought a court direction to the police to file an FIR against the alleged perpetrators. The state-run CAS, headquartered in Matunga, runs seven homes for children in Mumbai, including the children’s observation home in Dongri.

Last week, a division bench of Justice V M Kanade and P V Kode heard the PIL filed by social activist Kamal Singh that alleged that illegal establishments were constructed by a private developer in connivance with the officials of the CAS and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), on the Chembur plot allegedly valued at Rs 1,500 crore, without the approval of the Governing Council and the State Cabinet, as per the Constitution of the CAS.

Singh urged the court to strike down the letter of intent issued to the private developer by the SRA in September 2013, allegedly without the approval of the state cabinet.

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According to Singh, a resident of Goregaon, an affidavit filed by the then Secretary, Women and Child Development Department, in 1999, stated that the land at Borla Village was gifted to CAS by Mohammed Yusuf Trust on certain conditions. Therefore, the use of this land was planned in consultation with the Trust.

Singh has stated that since state government officials are allegedly involved in letting land sharks take over the land, a FIR should be lodged in the case and the probe should be transferred to the CBI.

meghna.yelluru@expressindia.com