MUMBAI: Police have arrested 12 persons and booked 53 for illegally trading in free houses built for project-affected persons (PAPs) relocated for the Mumbai airport expansion project.
Last Friday, a function was held at a private banquet hall in Andheri where the local MLA handed over keys of 53 PAP flats. Saki Naka police said some of the recipients illegally sold their flats after receiving the keys outside the banquet hall.
Rules stipulate that once a flat is allotted under PAP, it cannot be transferred or sold for at least 10 years.
Some informants tipped off police, who raided the place and arrested 12 persons on the spot and booked more than 53 who were selling and purchasing the flats even though some of them were not eligible for these rehab flats. A huge quantity of fake documents was recovered from them. Police booked them for cheating, forgery, breach of trust and criminal conspiracy. They are looking for another 40 who fled.
Police, along with the MMRDA officials, raided Galaxy Hall at Saki Naka and found that more than 400 people had gathered there. Local MLA Dilip Landge was distributing keys of houses for residents of Kranti Nagar who had been affected by the airport’s expansion.
“When we caught a few of them, they were unable to explain or produce any document to show how they were eligible for these flats. Some of them who were eligible were found selling them illegally and, hence, we have arrested them for causing a loss to the exchequer,” said a police officer.
Officials said a total of 18,222 flats were constructed in 30 buildings at HDIL Premier Road, Kurla, 10 years ago to rehabilitate around 15,000 citizens living from the premises of Airports Authority of India (AAI). But, all the flats were left vacant as AAI did not show promptness in rehabilitating them.
