SRA project irregularities: FIR against govt, HDIL officials

An FIR has been registered against principle secretaries of Maharashtra's housing and woman and child development departments, HDIL Group chairman and the company's ten directors in connection with alleged irregularities in Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project in suburban Bandra, the Anti-Corruption Bureau said today.
The accused were booked following a sessions court order which directed the ACB to probe the matter brought before it by a complainant.
The FIR was filed yesterday against Principle Secretary (Housing) Debashish Chakrabarty, Principal Secretary (Woman and Child Development) Ujjwal Uke, HDIL Group Chairman and the company's ten directors.
They have been charged under relevant IPC sections including 166 (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person), 167 (public servant framing incorrect document with intent to cause injury), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and sections pertaining to the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to ACB's Assistant Police Commissioner Rajesh Bagalkote, the complainant owned a commercial space at the Motilal Nehru Nagar in suburban Bandra.
The complainant alleged that the area had been redeveloped under SRA scheme by real estate and construction company HDIL in 2005-2006, but he was not allotted a shop after he was deliberately declared ineligible, police said.

"However, those who are ineligible were provided shops in the redeveloped area. It was also discovered that more than allotted area had been used for the redevelopment project. All these illegal activities were carried out allegedly in connivance with government officials, including Chakrabarty and Uke, who were executive officers in SRA. Various documents were allegedly forged for the purpose," Bagalkote said.

The victim approached the court following which Special Sessions Judge S V Ranpise ordered ACB to probe the complaint and take appropriate action against the persons concerned.
Following the court order, the FIR was registered yesterday against Chakrabarty, Uke, HDIL's Group Chairman, the then additional collector in suburbs, office-bearers of Motilal Nehru Nagar Cooperative Housing Society and 10 directors of the HDIL for their alleged role in the irregularities in allotment of the space.