HC seeks affidavit from respondent in parking lots scam

Hearing a public interest litigation alleging corruption in allotment of public parking lots in the city by erstwhile Congress-NCP government, the Bombay High Court today allowed a construction firm to file an affidavit in reply by December 19.
The division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Revati Mohite Dere asked Lodha Construction Group to submit a reply within a fortnight after its lawyer Rahul Dwarkadas sought time to file an affidavit.
The petition, filed by activist Praveen Wategaonkar, alleges someone close to the Chief Minister in the erstwhile Congress-NCP government was charging money for clearing proposals for allotment of public parking lots. It alleged the respondent builder was the largest beneficiary in the scam.

The petition demanded an investigation under Prevention of Corruption Act. Several proposals for public parking are pending for a long time as builders refused to pay, it adds.
Earlier, the petitioner had filed a civil PIL, in response to which the state had denied the allegations.
Later Wategaonkar withdrew the petition and filed a criminal PIL, as instructed by the High Court.