Bombay High Court issues notice to Antilia Commercial, others

PIL seeks probe into corruption, illegalities in sale of land

The Bombay high court on Tuesday issued a notice to Mukesh Ambani-owned Antilia Commercial Pvt Ltd, the Wakf Board, the state government and other respondents on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking an investigation into alleged corruption and illegalities in respect to the sale of property in Malabar Hill on which Antilia is built.

Social activist Shadaab Patel, through advocate Khan Javed Akhtar, filed a PIL alleging that the land belonging to Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Orphanage was allegedly sold to Antilia for a meagre Rs 21 crore, which was less then the 10 per cent of the actual price of the land. The petitioner has claimed that the land is valued Rs 200 crore.

Senior counsel Iqbal Chagla, on behalf of Antilia, had opposed the PIL, saying that it has been filed at a delayed stage and should not be entertained. The division bench, headed by Justice V.M. Kanade, however, issued a notice to all the respondents seeking their reply.

According to the petitioner, the said trust came into existence in 1996 for the sole purpose of providing shelter, food and education. to orphans and destitute boys of the Khoja community. The petitioner also claimed that it was

decided that the managing committee would appoint religious instructors to give religious, general and fundamental education.

It is also alleged in the petition that the trust, without thinking about the welfare of the orphans, executed a sale deed in November 2002 and sold the land for Rs 21 crore. The petition has further claimed that the Wakf Board took objection to this sale deed in

2003 and said that the transfer of the property was bad in law because it was transferred without permission of the Wakf Board. However, in 2004 the suit filed by Wakf Board was settled for only Rs 16 lakh.

The petitioner has sought a direction from court for the formation of a Special Investigating Team (SIT), or hand over this matter to the CBI or appoint a Judicial Commission to investigate the alleged corruption and illegalities in respect of the sale to the property situated on Malabar Hill on which Antilia is built.

The petitioner has requested the court to seek a report about alleged illegalities and corruption in disposing the property in favour of the respondent. The petitioner has also sought direction to the state to vacate the premises and take appropriate action against the trust and the beneficiary.