MUMBAI: Maheshkumar Garodia, who claimed ownership of the Kanjurmarg plot where the state had proposed the metro car shed, has not pressed the contempt petition filed against MMRDA and the state government.
It was earlier alleged that they had illegally entered his salt pan lands at Kanjurmarg to build the metro depot. A city civil court last month disposed of the plea. In a suit pending against the Deputy Salt Commissioner since 2005, Garodia had filed a notice of motion in 2020 seeking contempt proceedings.
In October 2020, the state government started work on 100 acres of land at Kanjurmarg for the Metro Depot after which Garodia moved the courts claiming he was the lessee of salt pans on the depot plot and that he had been illegally disposed. His plea further said that he was the lessee of a large piece of land measuring around 251 acres. “I am also the lessee in respect of another area admeasuring around 249 acres within the limits of Village Kanjur..,” his plea said.
In November 2020, Garodia moved the civil praying that MMRDA and state government vacate the depot plot and hand back possession to him. “That pending the hearing and final disposal of the present motion, this… court be pleased to injunct respondent…from carrying out any construction or work on the suit lands,” Garodia’s plea said.
In December 2020, Garodia also filed a writ petition before the Bombay high court seeking similar reliefs, based on which the high court stayed all work at the Kanjurmarg Depot plot. In December 2020, the high court stayed an October 1 collector’s order transferring the salt land for the car depot and halted all ongoing work on it.
