Latest news with #SlumRehabilitationScheme
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
SC issues notice to developers over transit rent delay in SRA project
MUMBAI: The Supreme Court on May 13, issued a show cause notice to two developers overseeing the slum rehabilitation project at Mori Road, Mahim (West). This came in response to the contempt petition filed by the legal heir of one of the hutments, who did not receive transit rent, as per the law. On December 27, 2021, Sadiqa Ali Abbas requested the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to record her name as the legal heir of her deceased grandmother, Sajadibegam Sayyad Majid, whose name was recorded in Annexure – II of the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme of Navkiran Co-operative Housing Society. Annexure-ll of the scheme determines the eligibility of slum dwellers for rehabilitation, who are entitled to transit rent- a compensation for the temporary relocation during the redevelopment process. Abbas filed a petition in the Bombay high court on September 7, 2022 claiming that despite submitting the required documents to record her name as the legal heir, no action was taken by the competent authorities and that the delay has resulted in not receiving the rent from the builder towards transit accommodation. The high court directed the competent authority to resolve the matter within six months. Aggrieved by the order issued by the high court for unnecessarily delaying the process by granting a period of 6 months whereas the hut was already being demolished by the builder, Abbas approached the Supreme Court on October 17, 2022. The SC directed the SRA to take a decision within three months, adding, 'If the petitioner's name is entered in Annexure – II, she would be entitled to all other consequences as envisaged in law'. Subsequently, the SRA issued a succession certificate to Abbas, and directed Omkar realtors and developers pvt. ltd. to deposit the outstanding rent amount, and Shree Nidhi concept realtors pvt. ltd., to deposit the rent arrears within 15 days. On January 23, 2024, Balasahev Tidke-the Deputy Collector (Special Cell), Slum Rehabilitation Authority, issued a letter of appeal against the succession order stating that the documents produced for succession are not valid. Due to the inaction of the authorities, Abbas approached the apex court once again in April 2025 through A A Siddiquie & Associates Advocates, urging it to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents for not complying with its previous order passed by the SC in 2022. After the perusal of the documents, the division bench of justices Surya Kant and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh issued a show cause notice to the two developers- Omkar realtors and developers pvt. ltd. and Shree Nidhi concept realtors pvt ltd, seeking their response as to why the contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them.
Indian Express
10-05-2025
- Indian Express
Chhota Rajan acquitted in 2004 attempt to murder case
A special court acquitted gangster Chhota Rajan from a 21-year-old case of attempting to kill a businessman in 2004 stating that nothing incriminating was brought on record to show that Rajan was involved in the crime. Rajan is currently serving life imprisonment for the murder of journalist J Dey in Tihar jail. According to the prosecution, a businessman named Nandkumar Harchandani was constructing a building under the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme in Andheri in 2004. A dispute over payment arose between Harchandani and the previous owners of the land and a contractor. The prosecution claimed that Harchandani was accused of non-payment of their dues and was receiving threat calls. The prosecution claimed that the calls were made by Rajan and that the gangster ordered to have him killed, for which the logistics, including weapons and shooters, were arranged. On September 16, 2004, six to seven persons entered the office of Harchandani's firm and opened fire at an accountant present there. The assailants also referred to a 'bhai'. The accountant was assaulted and when the others created an alarm, the assailants left. An attempt to murder case was filed at Andheri police station. Police claimed that the men were working on the directions of Rajan and he was named a wanted accused. After his extradition to India in 2015, Rajan was tried in the case. The prosecution examined a witness, who ran a security business, who had said that he received a call from Rajan. During the trial, however, he said that he does not know 'Chhota Rajan' personally and that he was not called by the police to identify his voice to determine whether it was Rajan who had called him. 'Upon perusal of the testimony of the witness, it is seen that he is not certain as to whether the call was of Chhota Rajan and therefore, the testimony of the witness is not sufficient to hold the present accused guilty of the present crime,' special judge A T Patil said in the order passed on Thursday. While the police had also invoked stringent sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), claiming that the crime was committed with Rajan as the head of the crime syndicate, the sanction and prior approval needed for invoking the Act was not proper. 'In the present case, it was the duty of the prosecution to establish how the present accused is connected with the other accused persons and when he entered into such a conspiracy but they failed to prove the same,'the court said. Rajan has been lodged in Tihar jail since his extradition in 2015. A special court was designated for trials in cases pending against him. While he is serving life imprisonment in the J Dey murder case, he has been acquitted in a few cases.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
2,000 Ahmedabad shanties razed as HC refuses to stop demolition
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Tuesday refused to stay the demolition drive carried out by the authorities near Chandola Lake, from where the city police rounded up more than 900 persons, suspecting them to be illegal migrants from Bangladesh three days ago. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Eighteen residents of the Siyasatnagar locality at Chandola filed a petition on Monday evening and sought urgent intervention by the HC by staying the demolition, which already began. Justice Mauna Bhatt granted them an urgent hearing on Tuesday when the high court was functioning on account of a public holiday. Their counsel, Anand Yagnik , submitted that the petitioners are Indian citizens and lived in this area for nearly 50 years, and they have ample documents to establish their citizenship. The demolition process was opposed on the ground that the residents were not issued any eviction notice as mandated by the order. It was contended that the petitioners are not the owners of the land, but there is also no demarcation and delimitation map under the CRZ notification to indicate that they are occupying the waterbody. Moreover, it was contended that the residents be given the benefit of the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme of the State of Gujarat 2010, as amended in 2013, and they should not be evicted without providing alternative accommodation. It was also contended that the demolition drive was undertaken on the pretext of taking action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, but such an action is illegal until a competent authority decides about the citizenship of the suspected people. The state govt opposed the plea by arguing that the land occupied is a notified waterbody, and this kind of unauthorised occupation and construction does not warrant any prior eviction notice. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Moreover, it argued that the Chandola locality, according to an intelligence report, is a threat to the security of the state. After hearing the arguments, Justice Mauna Bhatt refused to stay the demolition on the basis of the state govt's contention that the petitioners reside on the notified land. According to an SC judgement, long-standing occupation does not give any right to the illegal encroacher, Advocate Yagnik said. The HC has kept the petition pending, and further hearing will take place in June.
