‘Will file FIR on sale of Worli soc’s shops sans collector nod’ | Mumbai News

Mumbai: A first information report (FIR) would be registered on a complaint regarding the sale of 16 shops belonging to a Worli housing society without the collector’s nod and payment of transfer charges, the state recently told the Bombay high court.
On Dec 13, a bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Shivkumar Dige heard a petition by Rajendra Desai, an advocate and resident of Worli Sagar Cooperative Housing Society on Pochkhanawala Road, which is the address of many politicians. His petition said 23,000 sq m of land was allotted for housing MPs and MLAs to Worli Sagar CHS. Six buildings were constructed. His petition referred to 16 shops in Bhima and Vaitarna buildings that were owned by Enkay Technologies Pvt Ltd. They were allegedly purchased over five years ago by Prowess Financial Services Pvt Ltd owned by the society’s then chairman Satish Chaturvedi.
Desai’s petition said that after he learnt about the purchase, he wrote to the society’s secretary, but was not given information about the transaction. In Aug 2023, he wrote to the joint commissioner of police (crime) and senior inspector (SI) at Worli police station. Two months later, he met the local deputy commissioner of police to no avail. In Aug 2024, Desai finally moved HC.
His petition said the transaction was done without following rules and a notification which govern the sale and purchase of commercial properties on state-owned lands leased by the collector. Residential premises and shops cannot be sold and transferred without the collector’s permission and payment of transfer charges. Also, “a cognisable offence is made out for grabbing public property and cheating the exchequer of lakhs of rupees”, the petition claimed.
On Nov 14, after hearing advocates Kuldeep Patil and Akshay Pawar for Desai, the judges directed the SI to remain present. On Dec 13, the prosecutor, on taking instructions from the SI, said an FIR will be “registered latest by tomorrow (Dec 14)”. The judges accepted the statement, disposed of the petition and directed Worli police “to conduct the investigation impartially…and take the same to its logical end”.
Mumbai: A first information report (FIR) would be registered on a complaint regarding the sale of 16 shops belonging to a Worli housing society without the collector’s nod and payment of transfer charges, the state recently told the Bombay high court.
On Dec 13, a bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Shivkumar Dige heard a petition by Rajendra Desai, an advocate and resident of Worli Sagar Cooperative Housing Society on Pochkhanawala Road, which is the address of many politicians. His petition said 23,000 sq m of land was allotted for housing MPs and MLAs to Worli Sagar CHS. Six buildings were constructed. His petition referred to 16 shops in Bhima and Vaitarna buildings that were owned by Enkay Technologies Pvt Ltd. They were allegedly purchased over five years ago by Prowess Financial Services Pvt Ltd owned by the society’s then chairman Satish Chaturvedi.
Desai’s petition said that after he learnt about the purchase, he wrote to the society’s secretary, but was not given information about the transaction. In Aug 2023, he wrote to the joint commissioner of police (crime) and senior inspector (SI) at Worli police station. Two months later, he met the local deputy commissioner of police to no avail. In Aug 2024, Desai finally moved HC.
His petition said the transaction was done without following rules and a notification which govern the sale and purchase of commercial properties on state-owned lands leased by the collector. Residential premises and shops cannot be sold and transferred without the collector’s permission and payment of transfer charges. Also, “a cognisable offence is made out for grabbing public property and cheating the exchequer of lakhs of rupees”, the petition claimed.
On Nov 14, after hearing advocates Kuldeep Patil and Akshay Pawar for Desai, the judges directed the SI to remain present. On Dec 13, the prosecutor, on taking instructions from the SI, said an FIR will be “registered latest by tomorrow (Dec 14)”. The judges accepted the statement, disposed of the petition and directed Worli police “to conduct the investigation impartially…and take the same to its logical end”.