Mehul Choksi's Alibaug mansion, seized by bank, on razing list

After Nirav Modi's unauthorized Alibaug bungalow coming under demolition, the scanner is now on his uncle Mehul Choksi's mansion.

The illegal sea-facing house of the fugitive jeweller, spread over four acres in Alibaug's Awas village, was attached by Punjab National Bank in connection with the case of fraud Choksi is embroiled in. Now it has appeared on a list of over 160 illegal beach houses prepared by the Raigad collectorate, which it says must be demolished.

Choksi had earlier obtained a stay against demolition from a local court when a previous list was prepared. The mansion, built without coastal zone permission, was made on farmland Choksi bought from one Pramod Mhatre in 1995. Today, the property has a residential bungalow with a swimming pool, besides servant quarters. The constructions are spread over an area of over 10,000 sq ft.

An FIR was filed by the Alibaug tehsildar against Choksi for illegal constructions in the coastal regulation zone. A Raigad district revenue official said, "Recently, a notice of the Punjab National Bank was pasted on Choksi's mansion, attaching the property. No action has been taken by Mandva police since the tehsil office lodged the FIR in 2015. Choksi then moved the district court."

Alibaug's tehsildar, Sachin Sejal, said, "Due to the pending court case, the demolition cannot proceed. All cases of environmental violation fall under the National Green Tribunal as per section 29 of the NGT Act and no civil court has the powers to entertain such cases."

The district revenue official quoted earlier said Raigad district's government pleaders are "little interested in expediting the illegal bungalow case".

On the status of transferring the case to the NGT, Sejal said, "There is no progress in the local courts."

RTI activist Dilip Jog said, "Unless the district administration, legal officers, police, etc, rise to the occasion, illegal bungalows will continue to remain in Alibaug."

The local talathi said nobody lives in the Choksi mansion and the gate is locked. Raigad police's PRO Kundan Gawde said, "We will check all details with the Mandva police before commenting."