A city developer has moved the HC to quash a 2010 complaint by a woman alleging he,in connivance with government officers,had ousted her from her land in Khar and discriminated against her on account of her caste. In her complaint in 2010,Mahendra Shirke,the power of attorney holder for Gaurabai Kamble,who is his aunt,had said the 35.65 sq m plot near Khar Danda was allotted to her husband Laxman,who died in 1991. Kamble had constructed five rooms on the land,she said,of which her family lived in one while others were given to her relatives. According to her,Zodiac Developers,Bhojwani Builders and government officers including former collector,(Mumbai Suburban) SS Zende and Ramdas Zhalke,the then tehsildar of Andheri,had connived against her. Ramesh Shah,MD,Zodiac Builders,has contended before the HC that Kamble had without reason,with a view to extort a money from the petitioner (Shah) started this witch hunt. Shahs lawyer Raja Thakare told the court that Kamble was not in possession of the said land. Thakare said the complaint was pending since 2010 and deserved to be quashed. Shirkes complaint before the special SC/ST court of the additional chief metropolitan magistrate at Bandra,however,said Zende passed an order on October 9,2003,stating Kamble breached a lease condition stated in an agreement of March 15,1995 and ordered her eviction. The order was passed only to give effect to common intention between the accused in pursuance of a criminal conspiracy between them to dispossess the complainants (Shirke) aunt (Kamble),a member of SC,from her land and for this false and malicious legal proceedings were instituted, the womans complaint stated. Justices V M Kanade and P D Kode asked additional public prosecutor Madhavi Mhatre to inform the court about the progress of investigations into the complaint. While other occupants of the land were rehabilitated in redevelopment scheme undertaken by builders and developers,Kamble said she was discriminated against. She had pressed charges under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,1989 and IPC against the builders and government officials concerned.
