‘SRA allotted slum rehab homes to film personalities’

They also claimed that several others,including actor Sanjay Khan’s wife Zarine Khan and daughter Farah Khan Ali,were also allotted tenements under the scheme. Among others named by the petitioners as illegal recipients of tenements are Captain Salaria,Diwan Rahul Nanda,Sunita Nanda and Major R G Nanda.

Justices P B Majumdar and R M Sawant observed that the government must first count the number of cellphones and cars owned by these allottees and then take a decision about giving them houses under the SRA scheme. “Did they live in slums before?” the court asked.

The petitioners’ counsel Veena Thadani told the court that the SRA,BMC and MHADA had brazenly connived with builders and illegally allotted 133 tenements to ineligible people. The court was told that even the voters list of January 1,1995,showed that there were only 57 residents in the slum. Thadani also pointed out to the court that the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police had registered an offence against the builders on October 31,2010,and despite receiving a stop-work notice in December 2005,the tenements in the building have already been sold to unauthorised persons.

“The scheme is for poor hutment dwellers. They should get the benefits and not others,” the court told the state government. Reprimanding the government,the court further said,“Put your house in order. There should be transparency in your functioning and it should be reflected in your decisions.”

Government pleader DA Nalavade sought time to address the court’s queries. The case has been adjourned till October 3. “We are not involved in any way. The case is in court and has already been dealt with by our lawyers,” Farah told Newsline.

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