Lavasa: Court seeks more documents from MPCB

The court of chief judicial magistrate NT Ghadge on Monday asked the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to produce additional documents on which the private criminal complaint is based on against Lavasa Corporation Limited (LCL).

The court was to pass an order in the case on Monday, but it directed the MPCB to file documents pertaining to annual reports of 2004-05 and 2009-10, and the correspondence between the MPCB and the LCL regarding environment clearance.

The court also asked the MPCB about the role of non-executive members of the LCL in the complaint. Senior law officer of MPCB, DT Deole, told the court that some members of the board of directors had been shown as executive members in 2004-05, but in the 2009-10 report they were shown as non-executive members of the board although they were part of the board of directors.

However, the court deferred the hearing in the case till Thursday (November 17).

Rashtriya Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Sanghatna president, Hemant Patil, through his lawyer TM Sorte requested the court to make him co-complainant in the case but the court asked him why he did not approach the MPCB two months ago. Sorte told the court that they have been in continuous touch with the MPCB. Then the court asked them to file the correspondence with the MPCB on next hearing.

The MPCB had filed the private complaint against Lavasa on November 4 for violation of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.