Bandra SRA scam: Case moved to EOW

Investigation of the controversial Bandra slum rehabilitation scheme case, which involves suspicious irregularities running into several hundred crores rupees, was

Investigation of the controversial Bandra slum rehabilitation scheme case, which involves suspicious irregularities running into several hundred crores rupees, was transferred from the local police to the economic offences wing (EOW) on Tuesday, six years after it was first registered.

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Parag Manere, deputy commissioner of police (EOW), confirmed the development. “The case has been transferred to the EOW after local police requested the case be transferred to a specialised unit for investigation,” he said.

The case pertains to the usage of fake documents to fraudulently avail extra floor space index (FSI) under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

The accused persons have defrauded the state by preparing false ration cards, photo identities, shop and establishment licenses, and submitting them to the SRA to get approval for the redevelopment scheme of Jamat-E-Jamhooria CHS Ltd at KC Road in Bandra. The said bogus documents were also used to get extra FSI for wrongful gains.

In March 2014, Bandra police had registered a case for alleged irregularities in allotment of houses in the SRA project. Police action was initiated after a metropolitan magistrate’s court ordered a probe into the case based on a complaint filed by resident Abdul Salaam.

“Several slum dwellers forged ration cards to secure more than one room for their families in the seven SRA buildings developed by Pyramid Developers, after demolition of the slum,” Salaam said while speaking to HT.

Bandra police was earlier accused of carrying out a shoddy investigation and closing the case. The complainant had then approached the court and got the case re-opened.

The first information report (FIR) names Pyramid Developer’s director Rafique Maqbool Qureshi and 157 others as accused. Pyramid Developers was appointed as the builder for the redevelopment by the Jamat-E-Jamhooria CHS Ltd.

“Investigations revealed that several violations were committed in the construction of the building by allowing exemptions which are not available to the said project by virtue of it being in the CRZ-II,” said a police source.

The Enforcement Directorate also initiated a parallel investigation, suspecting money laundering.