Police book Pednekar for SRA project fraud

SRA officer Uday Pingale, in his complaint filed at Nirmal Nagar police station, said as per records, Pednekar was not a slum unit owner, and she was never allotted one

Mumbai: The police on Saturday booked former Mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar and four others for alleged cheating and forgery in connection with the Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s (SRA) Gomata Janata project in Lower Parel.

A case under sections 419, 420, 465, 468, 471 and 34 of Indian Penal Code has been registered against Pednekar, Shaila Gawas, Prashant Gawas, Girish Revankar, and Saiprasad Pednekar. (HT PHOTO)

SRA officer Uday Pingale, in his complaint filed at Nirmal Nagar police station, said as per records, Pednekar was not a slum unit owner, and she was never allotted one. However, when she filed her nomination for the BMC election in 2017, she gave her home address as house number 601, building no. 2, Gomata Janata SRA CHS Limited, Pingale alleged. But this flat was given to one Gangaram Boga in 2008 and as per rule, he could not sell or rent it out for 10 years, the complaint said.

Pingale further said Kish Corporate Services India Private Limited, founded by Pednekar, had in 2012 submitted its address as gala number 5 in the SRA society’s building 1 to the Registrar of Companies (RoC). But the gala was allotted to one Gangaram Wadlakonda, the complaint said, naming the four directors of the firm as Shaila Gawas, Prashant Gawas, Girish Revankar and Saiprasad Pednekar.

Similarly, gala number 4 of the building 1 was illegally leased out by its owner, Sanjay Andhari, to Shaila Gawas in August 2017, the complainant said. However, the copy of the leave and licence contract submitted to the RoC had a different person’s photo and signature, Pingale added.

Despite attempts, Pednekar could not be reached for her comments.

A case under sections 419, 420, 465, 468, 471 and 34 of Indian Penal Code has been registered against Pednekar, Shaila Gawas, Prashant Gawas, Girish Revankar, and Saiprasad Pednekar.

The police have initiated the process to obtain the documents related to the said housing units which were illegally sold or rented out in violation of the Slum Rehabilitation Act.