Adarsh not near military installations, says collector

City collector Chandrashekhar Oak, who deposed before the two-member Adarsh commission on Saturday said the controversial Colaba tower, Adarsh, was not close to any military installations.

City collector Chandrashekhar Oak, who deposed before the two-member Adarsh commission on Saturday said the controversial Colaba tower, Adarsh, was not close to any military installations. Oak, who was cross-examined by the state counsel Anil Sakhare and commission’s counsel Dipan Merchant on Saturday, said this when he was asked about the site visit of the plot.

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“It is not correct to say that the land in question is close to military establishments. It is true that from the terrace, I could see the offices and buildings of the defence. On the west side there is an east-west road which divides the defence and civilian area,” Oak said.

Oak’s statement implies that the building was not a security threat as it was not close to military establishments and clearly in the civilian area of Colaba.

Oak, who has filed two affidavits before the commission till now, has maintained that the Adarsh plot belongs to the state government. His testimony is important as the collector’s office has all records on land ownership and allotment. The state government has maintained that the plot was owned by them and had been reclaimed in the 70s.