Mumbai: The Adarsh Housing Society, an illegal apartment building in Mumbai that became a symbol of political corruption, will not be demolished for now, the Supreme Court ruled today putting on hold the Bombay High Court’s April order.
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The finding of the High Court was also challenged by the society. SC now has directed central government to take possession of the 31-storey building, located in a sensitive Army area at Colaba, and to secure the building.
The hearing in the case has now been postponed to August 5. The process will be supervised by Registrar General of Bombay HC or by his nominee Registrar, PTI reported. The court had however granted a 12-week stay on the demolition.
It had also ordered the government to take criminal action against those politicians and bureaucrats for misusing power.
“We will secure the building and the land and there will be no demolition”, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Centre assured the bench when the counsel for the Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society sought a stay on the demolition order of the High Court.
The housing society was built for Kargil war veterans and widows, however, the apartments were cheaply given to politicians, ministers and bureaucrats. The MMRDA even filed an affidavit that there has been no unauthorised construction in this case.
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In 2011, the state government had set up a two-member judicial commission headed by Justice J A Patil to inquire into the scam. Subsequent probes revealed the involvement of then Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who had to resign when it was found that he accorded approval to the project as Revenue Minister and his relatives had flats in the society building.
