The police have registered an FIR against six officials of SD Corporation Private Limited, a joint venture between Shapoorji Pallonji Group and Dilip Thacker Group, in connection with the alleged irregularities in the construction of Imperial Towers in Tardeo. The accused are alleged to have made ₹300 crore from the twin high-rises while encroaching upon a plot reserved for building police quarters.
The case for criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal trespass, and forgery under the Indian Penal Code was registered on the basis of an order passed by the additional chief metropolitan magistrate, Girgaum.
“The buildings in question are alleged to have been built on a piece of land that was handed over by the forest department to the Mumbai police in 1943. We have booked six officials of SD Corporation and have initiated inquiries,” senior police inspector Vivek Shende of Tardeo police station said.
In his petition, Vaibhav Gawli, a social activist from Tardeo, has said that the original plot, around 87,319 square metres, had been encroached on by a slum that measured 42,600 sqm. Of this, 33,100 sqm was earmarked for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers while 9,500 sqm was reserved for constructing houses for police personnel.
However, in subsequent documentation, the police land was shrunk, till it came down to 3,025 sqm, allegedly in connivance with officials from government departments. The area for the rehabilitation, too, was decreased to 31,100 sqm, the petition said.
“SD Corporation trespassed on the police land, constructed two high-rises, and sold the units to the elite class of Mumbai,” Gawli said.
Based on the petition, the Girgaum court on September 26 directed the Tardeo police to initiate an investigation and accordingly, the FIR was registered on September 29.
HT is in possession of copies of the FIR and the petition.
SD Corporation was reached out for comments via email, but there was no response at the time of going to press.
Imperial Towers are hailed to be among the best slum rehabilitation projects where flats have been provided to slum dwellers and the plush buildings have been constructed as a commercial component.