Pollution control board files case against Lavasa Corporation

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on Friday filed a criminal complaint against Lavasa Corporation in the court of the chief judicial magistrate, NT Ghadge, for violation of the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986.

This follows directives of the Bombay high court on October 20 to the MPCB to file a complaint under section 15 and 16 of the EPA.

The MPCB named nine members of the board of directors and six officers of Lavasa Corporation. These include Ajit Gulabchand (chairman and managing director), a close confidante of Nationalist Congress Party chief, Sharad Pawar, and Vitthal Maniyar, among others.

Section 15 of the EPA refers to a penalty for contravention of the act and rules, orders and directions, while section 16 stands for offences committed by the company. Violations under the EPA attract a penalty of up to Rs1 lakh and imprisonment of up to 5 years.

Senior advocates Sadanand Deshmukh and SG Gawali, representing the state government and the MPCB respectively, requested the court to admit the case on Friday, as it was the last day to file it. The judge asked MPCB why it had filed the case on the last day, despite having two weeks to do it.

The MPCB has prayed for summons to be issued to Lavasa Corporation. The court adjourned the hearing to Saturday, after scrutinising the complaint.