The Powai police have registered an FIR against officials from the BMC’s S-ward, HPG Communication Company, and four associates for allegedly carrying out an illegal demolition in the Jai Bhim Nagar slum in Powai on June 6.
The S-ward officials have not been named in the FIR but the associates have been identified; they are Namit Keni, Aniket Kirdat, Sanjay Pandey, and Ranvijay Varma.
The slum dwellers had approached the Bombay High Court against the demolition in the middle of the monsoon, which is in contravention of the law. As per the court’s direction, the police established a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which submitted its report that was accepted and registration of a case was ordered.
The Powai police registered the case on October 5 and the Bombay High Court was informed that they will register an FIR against errant BMC officers and policemen who were responsible for the demolition of 650 tenements.
According to the FIR that has been registered against civic officials, the accused allegedly conspired and provided false information to the police, claiming they had obtained an order from the State Human Rights Commission for the demolition and requested police protection. On June 6, the civic workers arrived at the slum for the demolition, e ) which the dwellers opposed, leading to the alleged attack on the police.
Several police officers reportedly sustained injuries in the incident. After the SIT was constituted by the crime branch, the team led by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Gautam Lakhami found out that the demolition had been carried out illegally.
After the SIT report was submitted before the court, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chenak Kakade filed a case at the Powai police station. The charges against the accused include sections 120~ B (criminal conspiracy), 167 (public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury), 177 (furnishing false information), 182 (false information intending to cause a public servant to misuse lawful power), and 218 (public servant framing an incorrect record) of the Indian Penal Code.
