SRA docs seized in Baba Siddique raids

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized property documents during the raids at seven locations including former Congress legislator Baba Siddique’s residence at Bandra (west) on Wednesday.

The ED swung into action almost a month after they registered a case against Siddique and his associates who ran a construction firm, Pyramid Developers.

The seized documents pertain to the controversial Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project of Jamaat-e-Jamooriyat colony at Bandra Reclamation that is riddled with alleged irregularities — FSI violations and use of forged identity documents to allot flats to 158 beneficiaries. The irregularities happened at the time Siddique headed Mhada in 2002-4.  The Enforcement Case Investigation Report (ECIR) was registered by ED, which suspects that the proceeds from the alleged irregularities were sent abroad.

“Several documents pertaining to the SRA project including the permissions granted to it have been seized. The alleged scam is estimated to be around `500 crore,” said an ED officer.  

The ED is yet to issue summons to Siddique and are waiting for him to return to Mumbai. When asked if some prominent personalities had bought flats, the ED source said, “We have no knowledge about this for now.”  

The Bandra police will also conduct fresh probe into the allegations, which were first raised in 2014 and a probe report was submitted in 2015.