Possession of Adarsh Building handed over to Centre

MUMBAI: The controversial 31-storied Adarsh building was formally handed over to the Central government on Friday, in keeping with the July 22 order of the Supreme Court.
The society handed over possession of the building to an Army officer from Mumbai who was the representative of the Centre, in presence of a registrar of the Bombay high court and R C Thakur, society secretary.Thakur said that the “handing over was done in compliance with the SC order only for security purposes.’ ’After the society went to the SC to challenge the HC order of demolition, the SC on July 22 had directed the Centre to take possession of the building till it decides the matter.
No one presently occupies the building, which the environment ministry had directed to be demolished in January 2011 for violations of green norms. The Bombay HC had upheld the demolition order.
The society members said they have "not breached any of the court orders so far.’’
The SC had directed the Centre to secure the building and the land on which the building stands and ensure that the building is not encroached upon by anybody whosoever.
Shekhar Naphade, counsel for the society pointed out that society’s reords and members’ furnitures were still inside. The SC asked the society to take their records and members to remove the furniture too in the presence of a HC registrar and central government “officers nominated by the Station Commander, Mumbai.’’