**Bombay High Court Questions Missing 24,000 Census Certificates in Madh Island CRZ Case**
*Mumbai:* The Bombay High Court on Friday raised serious concerns over the disappearance of 24,000 Census certificates related to alleged illegal structures in Madh Island, Malad (West). These certificates are crucial because, as per the Census rules, any structure built prior to 1964 is exempt from Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regulations.
### Allegations of Forgery Against BMC Officers
During the proceedings, the court also reprimanded the police for their failure to take action against errant Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officers. This comes despite a witness providing detailed information and evidence regarding payments made to obtain forged maps to secure illegal exemptions.
### Petition Filed by Erangal Residents
The matter was heard by a bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sandesh Patil. The petitioners—Vaibhav Mohan Thakur and other residents of Erangal in Madh Island—allege widespread manipulation of maps. According to the petition, these altered maps falsely indicate that illegal structures were constructed before 1964, thereby facilitating their illegal legalization under CRZ norms.
### Revelations from RTI Applications
Advocates for the petitioners, Abhinandan Vagyani and Sumeet Shinde, informed the court that over 24,000 Census certificates have gone missing from the Collector’s office. Notably, an RTI application filed by the petitioners in 2019 revealed contradictory responses: one reply claimed the certificates were forged, while another stated they were missing.
Vagyani further highlighted that the certificates reportedly disappeared after the petition was filed before the High Court.
### High Court Directs Collector to Trace Missing Certificates
Taking a serious view of the missing documents, the court directed the Additional Collector (Encroachments), Western Suburb, Mumbai, to trace the missing Census certificates within seven days. The court warned that failure to do so would necessitate the registration of a separate FIR.
### Witness Confession That Was Ignored
Vagyani also pointed out that in April, the police recorded the statement of a witness who confessed to obtaining a forged map by paying bribes to BMC officers and agents. The witness named the officials involved and provided proof of the payments made. Despite this, no action has been taken against the implicated civic officials.
“The deliberate inaction appears aimed at protecting certain officers,” Vagyani submitted.
### Court Expresses Dissatisfaction with Police Investigation
The bench expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation process, questioning the police on their inaction against the civic officials implicated in the forgery and bribery allegations.
### State’s Defense and High Court’s Response
The state defended the delay by stating that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the court earlier this year to probe the matter, faced obstacles due to non-cooperation by civic officials and others involved.
However, in October 2024, the High Court had already criticized the police for “lethargy” in the investigation and had set up the SIT to expedite the process.
The judges responded firmly, emphasizing that the police possess the authority to summon uncooperative individuals and can even obtain non-bailable warrants to ensure compliance.
### Next Hearing Scheduled
The High Court has scheduled the next hearing to review compliance with its orders on October 13.
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https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/bombay-hc-slams-authorities-over-missing-24000-census-certificates-in-madh-island-illegal-structures-case
