SC seeks inquiry into hospital land episode

MUMBAI: Observing that some civic officers went out of their way in helping a private developer to use the property acquired for the expansion of BYL Nair Hospital, the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday expressed the need to order an inquiry into the entire episode.

“We are prima facie of the view that this is a fit case wherein the High Court also ought to have considered directing inquiry into the affairs as to how the property, which was acquired for expansion of Nair Hospital could be permitted to have been used for personal gain of a private individual,” said the bench of justice Bhushan Gavai and justice B V Nagarathna.

The apex court agreed with the findings recorded by the high court that some of the officers of the corporation acted in collusion with the present petitioner in permitting the transfer of the premises to Rubberwala Housing and Infrastructure Limited and permitting reconstruction under the garb of repairs and renovation.

The SC has issued notice to the BMC and others on the special leave petition filed by the developer and posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks. Rubberwala Housing and Infrastructure has moved the Apex Court, challenging the order passed by the High court on September 30, striking down September 2008 civic orders approving plans for construction on the 4,914 square-feet area and also directing the developer to vacate the plot and handover it’s vacant possession to the BMC.

High court had passed the order on a public interest litigation filed by Agripada resident Imran Suleman Qureshi and others, alleging that the plot, admeasuring 4,914 square feet was acquired by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) 21 years back for extension of BYL Nair Hospital, had been illegally purchased by the developer and unauthorised construction was carried on it.

According to Qureshi, Nair Hospital wanted the piece of land for the construction of a hostel facility for relatives of patients, especially cancer patients coming from far-off places for radiotherapy.

Four years later, the civic body temporarily allotted the plot - 4,914 square feet along with a constructed godown to the original owner.