Societies for judges: HC reserves ruling

Activist Nitin Deshpande and former journalist Ketan Tirodkar have filed PILs challenging allotment of land to the housing societies for judges.

While Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice R V More reserved judgment in the Deshpande case,they disposed of the Tirodkar PIL observing he was absent at previous hearings and his contentions were the same as that of Deshpande.

“The government has extended illegal and undue favours to Nyay Sagar and Siddhant housing societies formed by sitting judges of Bombay High Court. The plot was reserved for dishoused (sic) persons but the revenue department illegally adopted a resolution changing the reservation,” Deshpande said.

His lawyer Amit Karande argued under Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act,the government should have sought objections from the public before allotting the land. “It first allotted land and then invited objections through newspapers not widely circulated,” he said.

Khambata countered that the letter of allotment was subject to de-reservation of land.

Deshpande said Justice F I Rebelllo,chief promoter of Nyay Sagar,wrote to then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on August 12,2002,seeking government land for the society.

“On March 16,2004,the secretary of Revenue Department wrote to the Collector to change reservation for the plot marked for dishoused persons,” he said.

Meanwhile,the anti-corruption bureau has sought state government approval to conduct an open inquiry into the roles of Deshmukh,former Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development Department) Ramanand Tiwari,former Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Rakesh Chandra Joshi,Slum Rehabilitation Authority CEO S S Zhende and former Mumbai District Collector Chintamani Sangitrao in de-reserving the plot allotted to Nyay Sagar.