Builder duped, grabbed our land: Haji Kasam chawl tenants

Certain committee members are hand-in-glove with the builder in siphoning huge some of money, allege members

Tenants of Haji Kasam chawl, located at Lower Parel, have alleged that the builder has cheated them by selling 99 rooms without the permission of the committee and also not submitting the report to them.

Satyajeet Kadam and Suhas Raul, along with other members have approached charity commissioner, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation and other authorities with regard to the same.

According to Kadam, the builder approached few members of the committee before selling 99 flats, keeping other members in the dark by siphoning huge some of money of the reserve fund and also trying to build illegal construction in the ground of the society.

There were 270 tenants and the earlier builder had constructed 44 flats in two separate buildings and handed over the flats its tenants in 1995. Later, the work was stalled due to builder’s financial crisis. In 1999, the same builder convinced the committee members to let him construct seven-floor building instead of four floors and allow him to sell flats located on upper three floors. However, according to Kadam, the builder sold the flats and grabbed the additional land of the chawl.

“The builder is not only ready to submit the transaction, but is also adamant to free the land it has grabbed. Now, he is trying to build illegal construction by using police force and pressurising society members,” Kadam alleged.