Mateen Hafeez TNN
Mumbai: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW)of thecity police has arrested three persons, including a priest, for allegedly selling land belonging to the defence to Shapoorji Pallonji group for Rs 5.5 crore. The plot houses a heritagestructure.
Investigating officer C B Tatkare said Vidya Baranwal, associated with Pallonji’s legal department, had lodged a complaint with them. Bishop Baiju Gavit (71), advocate Rajnikant Salvi (67) and his brother, Shashikant Salvi,were arrested.
According to the police, in 1953, the defence gave the land on Hazarimal SomaniMarg near CST to The Bombay Diocesan TrustAssociation on a 99-year lease for Re 1 a year. “No one can sell or buy such properties,” said Tatkare. The Governmentof India leasedoutseveral properties in Panvel, Panchgani, Pune, Kolhapur and Raigad to the association. “The accused approached the complainant company and said the defence had allowed them to redevelop the 4,266-sq-yard land. They alsosaidthey wouldbring all the necessary permission from defence andthecharity commissioner. They claimed to have sent allthedocumentstothedefence ministry,” said the police. Investigations revealed that no letter was sent to the ministry, butby then,the accusedhadcollectedRs5.5crorefrom thecompany. The builder had plans to redevelop a 33-storey building on the premises. Members of the Church of North India, the largest grouping of Protestant Churches in India, initially shied awayfrom commenting.
CNI bishop for Mumbai Prakash Patole was out of station and not available for comment. But the secretary of the Maharashtra Council of Churches (a Protestant grouping), Rev Victor Gollapally,calledit an unfortunate incident. “Church institutions are to be used for ecclesiastical, social, educational and health purposes and not to be sold,” hesaid.
When the developer did not get any satisfactory paper/reply, they lodged a case with Bhoiwada cops. “Two bank accounts, containing Rs 1.5 crore, belonging tothe accusedhavebeen frozen,” saidtheofficer.
Another group in the association had approached a builder tosellthesame property.
(Inputs by Ashley D’Mello)
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