BJP leader files PIL against mayor

MAYOR‘S OFFICE SAID SHE WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON THE ISSUE

MUMBAI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya has filed public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay high court (HC) against Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar for acquiring and making personal use of tenements in the Worli Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project by misusing her position as a councillor and mayor.

The PIL has alleged that as the official residential address given by the mayor for the BMC elections 2017, is one of these tenements and a company managed by her son also operates from another tenement meant for residential purposes.

The PIL has sought an investigation by all the concerned authorities and disqualification of the mayor. The court has asked respondent authorities and the mayor to respond to the PIL within three weeks. However, when HT tried to contact the mayor, her phone was switched off and her office said that she was not available for comment on the issue.

The division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni, while hearing the PIL, was informed that Somaiya had filed several complaints with the Registrar of Companies (ROC), Enforcement Directorate, BMC and SRA for reporting the illegal activities of the company and its directors. He submitted that though the authorities were aware of the illegalities conducted by Pednekar they had failed to initiate any action against her and hence the PIL was filed.

The PIL has sought from the respondent authorities including SRA, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Ministry of Corporate Affairs to initiate action against Pednekar and others and also sought a direction to initiate criminal action against them. Somaiya has also sought to pass appropriate directions restraining Pednekar from continuing her position as mayor. The court asked the authorities and the mayor to respond to PIL within three weeks and posted the hearing of the PIL on March 24.