Land grab in Mumbai: Govt staff shown as occupants of non-existent residential building, says ACB

Mumbai city news: The ACB registered an FIR against 17 people, including Sameer Bhujbal and Pankaj Bhujbal in the case.

An investigation into an alleged land grab at Oshiwara has revealed that grade-4 government employees were shown as occupants of a non-existent residential building. The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) registered a first information report against 17 people, including jailed NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s nephew Sameer Bhujbal and son Pankaj Bhujbal, for allegedly converting the residential plot, alloted by Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada), into a commercial property.

The commercial building built on the Mhada plot at Oshiwara in Mumbai (HT)

The residential plot was meant to house high income group people, said a source in the ACB. It was alloted to Tulsi co-operative housing society for residential use. What stands there now is a six-storey commercial complex called Platinum Court.

There are 11 members, including a woman, of Tulsi cooperative housing society, said the source. The agency has not revealed how many of them are government employees. “Most of these employees work for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation,” said an officer privy to the investigation.

These 11 members will be made witnesses in the case and their statements will be recorded. The documents of these 11 members were fraudulently used by the accused, said the ACB.

The revelations are similar to the Maharashtra Sadan scam which is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Associates of Chhagan Bhujbal, including drivers and clerks of his Mumbai Education Trust (MET), were made ‘dummy directors’ to launder money, alleged the ED.

In the Oshwiara case, the other accused include retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers who were with the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) and office-bearers of the housing society. Uttam Khobragade, a retired IAS officer, is one of them.