Borivali: Fruit Market Or Playground? Land Acquisition Conflict Becoming Worse

A complaint was filed against the formation of Apna Fruit Market on a plot that is supposedly reserved for a playground in Borivali's Shimpoli area. Manish Dube filed the complaint against the market and raised the issue with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). He sought action against the encroachment, but this incident got him into a trouble.

On July 11, Apna Fruit Market President, Rajiv Mishra and one of the vendors filed an extortion complaint against Manish Dube, Chandrakanth Gupta, and Jitendra Gupta. The vendors are claiming that Dube and Gupta brothers demanded money in exchange for dropping out the encroachment complaint.

The land acquisition conflict for a fruit market or a playground is becoming worse, and accusations are flying. After the FIR was filed, Borivali Police arrested Jitendra, but, on July 21, he was released on bail. Manish Dube and Chandrakanth have not been arrested yet. They have applied for anticipatory bail which the court will be hearing on July 25.

Speaking with Mid-Day, Rajiv Mishra said that the encroachment complaint against them is a false allegation. The market is built on private land and not on one reserved for a playground. Regarding his extortion complaint, he mentioned having evidence such as telephone call recordings to prove him right.

However, Chandrakanth Gupta debunked the allegations made against him. He stated he never had any contact with Rajiv Mishra.

According to Chandrakant Gupta, he has been wrongfully accused in this case. Raju Mishra and Vijay Mishra are brothers. The Mishra brothers are being retaliatory because Chandrakanth complained about the Sun Beach resort's illegitimate development. The resort will be demolished, according to an order from the Bombay High Court. Vijay Mishra doesn't own the resort, but he oversees its daily operations, according to Chandrakanth.

"The Mishra brothers are furious because I am bringing a case against the resort over illegal construction. To get me to drop my suit against Sun Beach, the Mishra brothers have filed fabricated cases," he added.

The Mishras denying Chandrakanth’s allegations said that this extortion case has nothing to do with the resort case. "Strong action should be taken against the accused because they are professional complainants looking to extort money," stated Vijay Mishra.

The extortion suspects have also questioned how Mishra learned the identity of the complainant who informed the BMC of the encroachment. 

Gupta said, "Revealing the complainant's name is not only unlawful but also dangerous to their life." Dube and Gupta brothers urged the BMC to either explain the fruit market's legal status or to dismantle any structures that had been erected on land designated for a playground.

Senior inspector at Borivali police station, Ninad Sawant, said, "The police have filed an FIR based on the complaint that Mishra filed. The case is still under investigation."

When questioned if the space was set aside for a playground, Sawant responded, "The BMC needs to clarify the space's reservation status. We are not involved in this."