Bombay High Court: Are peons so powerful… did senior officers turn a blind eye?

A seat of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Neela K Gokhale was proceeding a plea by Vaibhav Mohan Thakur and others, residents of Erangal successful the Madh Island country on the bluish coastline of the city.

The petitioners, done advocator Abhinandan Vagyani, had alleged that the bulk of the maps had been manipulated to get reprieve of exemptions under  the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and to amusement the structures were constructed anterior to 1964 and attempts were made to legalise them.

In October, 2024, aft pulling up constabulary for showing ‘lethargy’ successful the probe, the HC had constituted SIT to probe the matter.

On Wednesday, a authorities authorities lawyer informed the seat astir the advancement successful probe, arrests, and submitted that documents including maps are obtained from Land records and City Survey section and are forwarded to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for their Chemical Analysis (CA). The suburban territory collector besides sought a 30-day clip to ascertain if determination are immoderate CRZ violations and to instrumentality due action

“Once maps were forged, thing could person been constructed connected those lands. Whether they are wrong CRZ oregon not is not important astatine this stage. Whether constructions could person been undertaken connected these lands is simply a moot question. If maps are forged, wherever is the question of waiting for FSL analysis?” the seat orally questioned.

The authorities lawyer submitted that it has besides written to BMC if immoderate amerciable constructions were determination successful specified areas and if notices were issued to them by the civic body. The lawyer besides said gross authorities did not cooperate with the probe.

“Obviously they whitethorn person overlooked it. But past what happens?  Peons person done everything and elder officers person not signed oregon done nothing? Was it wrong the duties of peons oregon idiosyncratic else? If it progressive a scam of specified a magnitude you tin ideate who each would beryllium involved. Are peons truthful almighty that they tin get maps forged? Did elder officers crook a unsighted eye? There has to beryllium idiosyncratic who has the authority. You are going lone against these peons and agents. Who has made a payment retired of it? Peons whitethorn beryllium the tiny fries. We had reposed spot and religion successful SIT,” the seat said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shyam Ghuge, who was portion of the probing squad and was contiguous successful the court, told the seat that work of grounds keeping was with peons and they would support the said maps successful their custody and were successful interaction with agents.

He added that the spot owners would beryllium asked to record RTI applications, aft which the peons would springiness forged maps to the seniors and that is however the aforesaid would travel connected grounds arsenic per their modus operandi.

“883 maps were forged. Do you mean to accidental not erstwhile a elder serviceman realised this? One needs accomplishment to forge maps.   There indispensable beryllium draftsmen. What did transpire during the interrogation of agents?” the seat queried and sought “positive” steps from SIT.

It besides asked if it was probed arsenic to which officers had signed connected onshore demarcation records and if the signatures connected forged maps were identical.

The tribunal asked the BMC and gross authorities to cooperate with the probe and handover indispensable documents.

Granting clip to the authorities to cod documents and information from each authorities, the seat posted further proceeding aft six weeks.

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