Forging Madh island maps: HC directs SIT to probe whether census certificates were fabricated

The HC had earlier sought an effective investigation by SIT of Mumbai Police formed by it into alleged forging of over 880 maps in the Madh island area.

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sandesh D Patil was on October 16 hearing a plea by Vaibhav Mohan Thakur and others, residents of Erangal in the Madh Island area along the northern coastline of the city.

On October 13, Chief Public Prosecutor (In-charge) Mankunwar M Deshmukh for the state informed the HC that the police had arrested a nayab tehsildar (now retired), who was serving in the Bandra office, as his complicity was found in the fabrication of the census certificate and census form.

The petitioners, through advocate Abhinandan Vagyani, had claimed that as per RTI reply, nearly 24, 000 files related to census form and certificates were missing from the collector’s office.

On October 16,  the HC was informed by the state government that nearly 23,191 census forms were available in the office of the deputy collector (encroachment/removal), Malad and other nearly 1.08 lakh census forms have been in the jurisdiction of six competent authorities functioning under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

The HC was told that all records were duly transferred to the competent authorities concerned and deputy collectors of said areas, therefore, there were no records with the office of additional collector (encroachment/removal), Mumbai suburb and no records were missing.

The state government also said the said records were nearly 49-50 years old and in worn out condition and the authorities were fully prepared to make all such records available to the police authorities whenever required. The government said that if the applicant specifies any particular record or document or details of which he alleges to be missing/fake, the same shall be verified and communicated to him accordingly by concerned office/offices.”
Senior Advocate Narendra V Walawalkar for BMC also submitted that it has handed over documents to the police as assured.

“It appears that no record is missing and that the authorities are ready to make available all records to the police as and when required,” the HC noted and asked police to look into such records for the purpose of investigation.
Directing the Collector’s office to cooperate with the police by handing over the documents permitting their inspection, the HC said, “The police to look into whether the census form as well as census certificates are fabricated or not of the year 1976.”

The HC will hear the plea next on November 28.