MUMBAI: The region’s development agency, MMRDA, has lodged an FIR against illegal occupants of 1,336 tenements in Kurla which were meant for transit accommodation for slum-dwellers on airport land. The FIR mentions employees of HDIL, which had constructed the building, as accused.
Last year, MMRDA had issued eviction notices to the illegal occupants. MMRDA had also sought more than Rs 35 cr in rental arrears with GST from them.
Adesh Gautam Alhat, a surveyor at MMRDA since 2019, on Tuesday filed an FIR at Vinoba Bhave Nagar police for cheating and forgery.
In 2009, HDIL had constructed 30 buildings in Premier Compound under the slum rehabilitation scheme as transit accommodation for Bharat Nagar residents and slum-dwellers near the airport who were eligible for rehabilitation. Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) had signed an agreement with MMRDA in 2006 to facilitate rehabilitation of slums on airport land.
In 2021, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) transferred these buildings to MMRDA. A tri-party agreement existed among SRA, HDIL, and MIAL, and flats in buildings 5 & 6 were given on temporary lease.
Advocate Yusuf Khan who had taken up this issue said, “The lease agreement was only for three years and they were to pay Rs 8,000 for each unit. HDIL defaulted on payment..,” Khan said.
The disputed flats, built under SRA scheme by HDIL, were handed over to MMRDA in “as is” condition on Jul 28, 2021. According to the status report from SRA dated July 13, 2021, flats were leased to HDIL as a transit camp. However, the lease period expired in 2016, and many occupants continued to stay without authorisation.
“During surprise inspections it transpired that original allottees were missing, someone else was staying… We wrote to MMRDA and police,” he said.
According to MMRDA, pending rent for the flats from Aug 19, 2014, to Mar 18, 2016, was set at Rs. 7,000 per unit and Rs. 10,500 per non-residential unit. Despite multiple reminders, HDIL has not cleared these dues, which have accumulated to Rs. 44 crore, states the FIR.
TOI was the first to report the story on July 30 last year.W
Deputy commissioner of police (zone 5) Ganesh Gowade confirmed the development.
