This controversial plot was originally owned by Arjundas Thakur and his family.
After a city-based developer alleged that the Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) connived with the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to gobble up 25,271 sqmt or eight acres of prime property in Chakala, Andheri (E), it has been revealed that HDIL immediately sold that plot to Kanakia Spaces Pvt Ltd for Rs655 crore.
The sale was finalised despite the High Court specifically stating "not to create any third party right on the eight acres of controversial Andheri-Chakala land." HDIL had signed an agreement with the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) that they will rehabilitate people from 28,000 hutments from the airport land on this said eight acres of plot. In return, the SRA had allotted the floor space index of 4.9 to HDIL, with the free sale area of 7.55 lakh sqft.
This controversial plot was originally owned by Arjundas Thakur and his family. Then KK Motwani (78) bought it in 2004 at the rate of Rs3.95 crore. To safeguard the plot, Motwani established his office-cum-bungalow there and also erected a boundary wall.
Interestingly, HDIL neither cleared the slums from the airport area nor rehabilitated a single person on the land but sold the free sale area received from the SRA.
Motwani has alleged that in this entire deal, HDIL cheated not only Kanakia but SRA as well. "I complained to the SRS on several occasions, but they fell on deaf ears. The government is equally responsible for this multiple selling of the plot. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis himself should look into this multi-crore fraud and the guilty must be punished," said Motwani, who had also complained to the Economic OffenceS Wing, which has been investigating the case.
Meanwhile, SRA CEO Asim Gupta said they have asked not to carry out any fresh work on this said plot. "We have given instructions that no further construction work will be carried out, till further orders. We will check the details and action will be taken accordingly," he said.
Rashesh Kanakia of the Kanakia developers maintained that they bought the land from the HDIL legally and even constructed a few buildings on the plot.
The Bombay High court bench comprsing justices SC Dharmadhikari and GS Patel have imposed a fine of Rs10 lakh on HDIL for acting on the agreement with the MIAL, which subsequently terminated the contract in 2013,as HDIL didn't fulfill the conditions.
Interestingly, the state government had released 1.20 crore sqft of transfer of development right (TDR) to HDIL for construction of houses for the slum dwellers. HDIL allegedly used this TDR to construct saleable area. The HDIL spokesperson said, "All these allegations are baseless and false. At present, the matter is subjudice."
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