Juhu playground turns battleground

MUMBAI, OCT 14: Over 100 extremely terrorised'' families in Andheri's plush Juhu-Abhishek Apartments Co-operative Housing Society have ...

MUMBAI, OCT 14: Over 100 “extremely terrorised” families in Andheri’s plush Juhu-Abhishek Apartments Co-operative Housing Society have spent sleepless nights since October 11, thanks to allegedly illegal activities carried out by the society’s builder Mohan Kukreja, who is one of the city’s leading builders.

The residents have alleged that mercenaries of Omprakash and Co., owned by Kukreja, have trespassed their building premises and tried to forcibly take over the recreation ground. They allege the builder wants to construct another high-rise building on the area earmarked as playground in the plans approved by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The residents also claimed that the police and BMC officials were shielding the builder instead of helping the residents “who are in extreme trouble at the hands of hired goons.”

The residents have complained to Director General of Police Arvind Inamdar, municipal commissioner K Nalinakshan, D N Nagar police station and ward officer of the K/westward and sought punitive action against Mohan Kukreja. The complaint reads: “On October 11, 1999, a group of 40 people and some security guards forcefully barged into the society premises. They were equipped with bulldozer and fencing material. They started breaking the society’s approach road, digging up the garden, cutting the trees and breaking the compound wall.”

“This property has been in our rightful possession since 1984 and we also have the occupation certificate no. CE/8400/BS11/AK dated May 5, 1998. The Society has moved the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi. A case about the garden is also pending with the City Civil Court since 1992 and the matter is clearly subjudice. Due to the terror tactics being used by the builder, the entire society is in a state of panic and is worried as to what worse could happen in the coming days. We have lodged a complaint with the police vide NC no 6999/99 dated October 11, 1999 but no action has been taken yet.”

Pratap Thorat,veteran journalist and a resident of the building said, “The builder wants to develop the only green patch left in the society’s premises. Moreover, it is binding on him according to the Development Control rules to leave this plot vacant. If a building is constructed here, no rescue operation will be possible in case of fire or a building collapse.”

Kapish Saluja, another resident said, “Why he did not make any representation to the society before doing anything in the building premises? Why he has not executed the conveyance deed? Why are his people threatening the ladies in the building? We are forced to stay at home, and our family members have to sit in the garden so that the men do not destroy it any more.”

Replying to a questionnaire, Mohan Kukreja said, “The premises is not of Juhu-Abhishek Apartments, and the society members only occupy three buildings on a large layout. Our representatives did not forcefully enter the premises. We are carrying out the work as per plans sanctioned by themunicipal corporation, and we have not destroyed any garden. We did not dump any debris there, it was construction material. We already have a suit pending against the society since 1992 for constructing an unauthorised road, pavement and gate. It has all along been made clear that we will be developing the plot further, which is our legal right.”