Six alleged accused in SRA scam filed ABA plea

Mumbai, Sep 20 (UNI) Six people accused in the alleged fraud and criminal conspiracy in the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme unearthed by the anti-corruption sleuths filed anticipatory bail application before a special ACB court here today.

The matter which had come up before the special ACB judge P N Deshmukh however, asked the Public Prosecutor R V Kini to file his reply by September 22.

Those who approached with the bail plea are Prakash Gadiyar, Kiran Mahadik, Ramesh Bahndari - all developers of Siddhi Vinayak Construction company, Bajrang Motiram Pawaskar, vice-chairman of Sai Siddhi Vinayak Coop housing society and two others Narendra Barde and Vishwanath Salvi.

Seven people arrested last week in the same case have been produced before the ACB court and sought for further police custody.

The court had extended their police custody till September 27.

Those who were arrested last week are - Subhash Velji Chawda (architect) Netaji Gopichand Shinde (Chief Promoter) Subhash Parulekar (Rtld Rent Collector), Sudin Baba Achrekar (Colony Officer), Jayant Joshi (Rtld Senior Colony Officer), Sanjay Joshi (Asst Accounts Officer-SRA) and Suresh Gunjal (Clerk-SRA).

ACB took initiative to investigate irregularities in the distribution of flats under SRA scheme following a private complaint filed by Arun Ramavatar Pathak last year against Ghadiyar, Mahadik and Bhandari, all developers of Siddhi Vinayak Construction Company.

Mr Pathak in his complaint said in the year 2001, a proposed housing society was formed by the residents of the Sukurwadi in the name of Siddhi Vinayak Cooperative Housing Society under SRA scheme and the accused people were appointed to develop the slum of Sukurwadi.

He said the developers indulged in many irregularities and made over 100 non-eligible slum dwellers eligible for the said scheme through illegal means.

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