Vasai-Virar housing scam: Inquiry committee yet to begin probe

The MiraBhayandarVasaiVirar MBVV police probing the multithousand crores of rupees house of cards scam are set to file around a 10000 pages charge sheet by October 23 but the inquiry committee constituted by the civic chief on August 14 is yet to begin its probe into the scandal in which their own officials are involved in neckdeep graftA social activist has alleged that unauthorised constructions are still underway in Vasai Virar and Nalasopara ldquobut the civic officials have turned a blind eye to the bogus buildingsrdquoThe buyers of flats in such buildings had used up their savings for them PicsHanif PatelOver a dozen FIRs were filed against the bogus builders who had prepared false and fake documents of nonagricultural land Commencement Certificate CC permission for construction building map bogus rubber stamps of the competent authorities their letter heads etc Till date MBVV police have filed 15 FIRs at Virar Nalasopara Tulinj Pelhar Valiv and Manikpur police stations against nearly eight dozen accused said a senior police officerThe probing team has asked the VVCMC officials if they had received any complaint against the unauthorised constructions in the housing scam However the civic officials are tightlipped said the sourcePolice probe onThe police investigation is on in full swing and they have been calling the concerned officials from Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation VVCMC the registrar office and banking officials ldquoThe civic officials are a little adamant in sharing details with us They have been delaying our work so that we donrsquot file the charge sheet on time But we have gathered enough evidence in the housing scandal and are set to file a nearly 10000 pages charge sheet in the court by October 23 Later on multiple supplementary charge sheets will be filed as and when required in the legal processrdquo said a senior police officerOne of the buildings constructed in the scamA source from Virar police told midday that the civic officials have done nothing till date to help us in their investigationldquoAll the FIRs were filed by the civic officials only because we gave them the contents and incriminating documents against the bogus builders After much hue and cry the municipal commissioner constituted an enquiry committee on August 14 to probe the role of their own officials who were involved in the rampant unauthorised constructionsrdquo said the sourceldquoBut why has the enquiry committee not done anything till date This committee was supposed to submit its report within stipulated time of 15 days Why is there a delayrdquo asked a police officerleft to right Prashant Patil Dilip Adakhale Dilip Benwanshi Rajesh Naik the accused in the scamRattled by the series of midday reports on the multicrore housing scam the VVCMC Commissioner Anilkumar Pawar constituted a 10member inquiry committee to probe itAdditional Municipal Commissioner Ramesh Manale was given the charge to lead the inquiry committee of senior civic officials including Ajinkya Bagade YS Reddy Kishore Gavas Tanaji Narle Nanasaheb Kamthe Sameer Bhumkar Shashikant Patil Ajay Chaukekar and Mohan SankheCommittee member speakDeputy Municipal Commissioner Kishore Gavas said ldquoTill now we were busy in filing the FIRs Now we will conduct the investigation and submit the report of the inquiry committee in next 20 daysrdquoAn officer at Valiv police station said ldquoThese unauthorised buildings were not constructed overnight Were the municipal corporation officials sleeping when these buildings were constructed Even today they are doing nothing to help us in the investigationrdquoThe four conmen including Prashant Patil Dilip Adakhale Dilip Benvanshi and Rajesh Naik have been made coaccused in all the FIRs on the complaint of VVCMC officials ldquoBut the big players have not been named in the FIRs The civic officials have not learnt a lesson till now They are still protecting the big fish who are the brainchild behind the scamrdquo said the sourceA senior police officer said ldquoOur criminal investigation will be completed only after we question the civic officials who were responsible for keeping a check on the unauthorised constructions in VVCMC area Though a few have been transferred and others retired those who are still attached with the VVCMC office are sounding very busy these daysrdquoThe Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone 3 Suhas Bawache said ldquoWe are probing this scam in all possible angles We are conducting a thorough probe in this sensitive matter as these conmen have duped common people who are busy earning a livelihood We will not spare any accused involved in the scamrdquolsquoNo of accused may risersquoDCP Zone 2 Pournima ChouguleShringi said ldquoWe have arrested many accused involved in this scam But as our investigation proceeds further the number of accused may increaserdquoA social activist Nanasaheb Kolekar said ldquoI had been raising my voice against the unauthorised constructions in VVCMC area But the civic officials did nothing Later I protested against the civic chief who falsely implicated me in an FIRrdquoKolekar further added ldquoMany unauthorised buildings are standing tall in Vasai Virar and Nalasopara The flats in these structures are yet to be sold to home buyers But the civic officials are not demolishing these buildings as the builders will be at huge lossrdquoldquoWe made the cases watertight and filed FIRs under multiple sections of IPC MRTP Act MOFA Act and Registration Actrdquo said an officerSources have informed midday that the prime accused Patil has been trying to seek bail in the case but the Vasai court has rejected the applications