SC seeks mall developer’s reply on contempt plea

NAVI MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the developer of Inorbit Mall, Vashi, seeking its reply on a contempt petition that alleged that despite its status quo order, new shops and commercial establishments were running businesses on its premises.

In November 2014, the Bombay high

court

had held that City and

Industrial Development Corporation

(Cidco) had “irregularly allotted” an area of over 30,621 sq metres in Vashi to K Raheja Corporation Private Limited for constructing the mall and a hotel (Four Points). It directed that the developer hand back the vacant possession of the land to Cidco within six months.

Raheja challenged it in the Supreme Court which on January 22, 2015, directed it to maintain a status quo.

Activist

Sandeep Thakur

, who had intervened in the Bombay high court case, filed a contempt petition, stating that the Raheja group had failed to maintain the status quo. In his petition, Thakur claimed to have received information through Right to Information that 19 shops and commercial establishments had been registered and are doing business at the mall after January 2015. The Supreme Court on February 12, 2018, issued notice to Raheja and other respondents.

When TOI contacted the

K Raheja Corp

, the company denied breaking any term or condition of the 2015 Supreme Court order. “The company has utmost respect for the judiciary and would not do anything to breach the terms of a court order. As per legal advice, in view of the matter being sub judice, we shall be dealing with the allegations/ misinformation being spread about us and bring out the correct facts before the Honourable Court,” read a statement given by the company to TOI.

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