Worli Police Book Society Ex-Office Bearers and Developer in SRA Fraud Case

The Worli police have registered two FIRs against nine former office-bearers of the New Sagar Vihar Nagar Co-operative Housing Society and the directors of Samudra Real Estate over alleged fraud, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and illegal eviction linked to a long-pending Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) redevelopment project in Worli.

The cases follow complaints filed by local residents Umar Shaikh, 57, and Habib Nagori, 70, who had approached a metropolitan magistrate court in 2021 seeking an investigation into the society committee, the developer, and others involved. On June 25 this year, the court directed the police to investigate the complaint under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

According to the FIRs, the housing society was originally formed in 1997 by residents of around 106 slum structures located at Worli Dairy. Of those structures, 94 were later declared eligible for rehabilitation under the redevelopment project.

The complainants alleged that former office-bearers continued to represent the housing society before official authorities even after the committee was dissolved on September 15, 2018.

They further alleged that forged signatures and fabricated documents were submitted during Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) eviction proceedings in 2019 and used to secure orders for the removal of six slum structures. The six structures were subsequently demolished on May 8, 2019.

The FIRs also allege that redevelopment-related consent letters and declarations were submitted after the society’s agreement with the developer was cancelled on June 14, 2021.

The police are currently examining society records, SRA files, BMC proceedings, redevelopment agreements, court affidavits, and alleged forged documents as part of the ongoing investigation.