Ex-SRA chief Vishwas Patil faces FIR in 2009 land misuse case

The special Anti-Corruption Bureau court has ordered that an FIR be registered against Vishwas Patil, erstwhile chief of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), in a 2009 land misuse case. Patil had earlier courted controversy by allegedly clearing an unusually large number of files as SRA chief just before his retirement on June 30.

Under Section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the court has also ordered investigation against Patil's wife Chandrasena, along with developers Ramji Harakhchand Shah and Rasesh Babubhai Kanakia of Kanakia Builders.

The complainant, Hitendra Yadav, told the court that Patil had completed the conveyance of government land at Malad East in favour of developer Shah, in whose company Chandrasena had been made a director. This land was further given for development to Kanakia, who is constructing a luxury residential project by the name of Kanakia Levels.

In his complaint, Yadav said, "Patil, who had developed vested interest with both the developers, committed FSI imbalance through slum rehabilitation scheme. Instead of keeping 58% of the layout area as a rehab plot (15,660 sqm), the rehab plot is just 40% of the land (10,960 sqm). The sale plot, which ought to have been 11,340 sqm, got a larger area of 16,441 sqm. This is 44% more area than it ought to have got." Speaking to mid-day, Yadav's lawyer, Aditya Pratap, said that Special Judge A D Tankhiwale allowed his complaint and have asked the ACB to file an FIR and conduct investigation.