Did govt give away 2-lakh sq ft Bandra cricket academy plot?

Mumbai: A group of city-based lawyers have filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against alleged fraud in the allotment of a huge plot of land meant for a cricket stadium in Bandra.

They held a press conference on Tuesday demanding that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquire into the matter along with the Adarsh housing scam.

According to advocate Sanjeev Punalekar and other lawyers, well-known Indian cricketers Sandeep Patil and Diana Edulji had, on January 14, 2004, requested the state government for land to start a cricket academy in Bandra (East).

"They got a letter of intent (LOI) from the suburban collector of the revenue department on August 24 that year, which laid down certain preconditions Culture Cricket Academy would have to meet before an approval can be given. These included clearances from the municipal body and declaration of the sources from where funds will be generated," said Punalekar.

However, according to the lawyer, while Patil was trying to comply with the conditions, he learnt in 2007 that a trust deed, submitted by the academy to the government in February 2005, did not include his name.

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"Apprehending that he might have been taken for a ride, Patil wrote a letter in April 2007 (a copy of which is with DNA), to the then chief minister complaining about the development," said Punalekar.

Patil's letter was referred to the suburban collector's office, which wrote to him in October 2007 asking him to approach the charities commissioner regarding the issue. However, Patil did not pursue the case, and the academy went ahead with seeking the required clearances.

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The matter came to light earlier this year when an NGO, Hindu Swarajya Pratishthan, was making enquires with the suburban collector to acquire land for a hospital.

The lawyers have also alleged the connivance of two IAS officers, who were earlier working in the state revenue department, and a city-based developer. "All the three are now trustees of the academy," said the lawyers.

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They claimed that the developer has written to the government to allow him to construct a multi-purpose sports centre in partnership with the private sector, and expressed concern this could mean the complex will be out of bounds for the common people as promised.

"In June, we sent a notice to revenue minister Narayan Rane, asking him to inquire into the matter. We have also demanded a CBI inquiry through this PIL," said Punalekar on behalf of the lawyers. Patil was unavailable for comment.

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The plot, which is next to Uttar Bharatiya Bhavan in Bandra (East), measures a whopping 20,045 sq metre (over 2 lakh sq feet). Though its market value could be in crores of rupees, the land has been allotted to the academy for an annual rent of a meagre amount of Rs98,104. Names of cricketers like Patil and Edulji were misused by the trustees to get approvals, said advocate Sanjeev Punalekar.

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