Mumbai: Even as public interest litigations (PILs) alleging irregularities in the Lavasa township project remain pending, the Bombay High Court has disposed of three petitions filed by Lavasa Corporation Ltd. (LCL) challenging orders issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

In 2011, the MoEFCC had passed an order accusing LCL of serious environmental violations. However, during the proceedings, the Ministry acknowledged the scale of investment, job creation, and third-party interests linked to the project. It agreed to reconsider environmental clearance, subject to strict conditions.

A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne on August 25 disposed of the petitions noting they had become infructuous after the MoEFCC granted environmental clearance to Lavasa on November 9, 2011.

The original MoEFCC order, dated January 17, 2011, alleged violations of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notifications of 1994, 2004, and 2006. It was based on a site inspection that found the Lavasa hill station project had caused significant environmental harm and lacked proper authorisation.

While halting construction at the time, the Ministry gave LCL a chance to regularise the project by meeting several conditions, including a penalty, setting up an Environmental Restoration Fund (ERF), and submitting detailed project documentation and a time-bound environmental management plan.

The court observed that LCL later submitted a fresh proposal that complied with these requirements, leading to the environmental clearance.

“In light of the environmental clearance now granted, the challenge to the January 17, 2011 order becomes infructuous,” the bench stated. The court has scheduled the next hearing for related PILs on September 12.

The Lavasa case has been under legal and environmental scrutiny for over a decade, and this ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing dispute.

A PIL has been filed by activist Nanasaheb Jadhav seeking an inquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged irregularities committed by Pawar, his daughter Supriya Sule and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had then filed an application seeking permission to intervene in the PIL stating that several allegations were made against him with regard to the development of Lavasa hill station.

Jadhav had earlier filed a PIL seeking to declare the special permission granted by Development Commissioner (Industries) to develop Lavasa as void, arbitrary, unreasonable, undue political favouritism, breach of trust and bad in law.

The PIL sought quashing the special permission granted to the Lake City Corporation to purchase lands for private hill station Lavasa. The HC, on February 26, 2022, disposed of the PIL observing that there seemed exertion of “influence and clout” of the Pawar family in the development of Lavasa as a hill station, however, it refused to interfere with the same due to “gross delay” in the filing of the plea and considering that “third party rights have been created”.

Jadhav has filed an appeal before the apex court against this order, which is pending.

Mumbai: Mumbai Police has extended permission for the Maratha quota agitation led by Manoj Jarange-Patil at Azad Maidan for one more day (Saturday, August 30).

Maratha agitators have gathered on the road in front of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus since morning. As a result, traffic on the roads leading from this area to Fort, Girgaum, the General Post Office, Mantralaya, and J. J. Flyover has come to a complete standstill. Long queues of vehicles have formed on all the roads around the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Since there are three hospitals in this area, the agitators are making way for ambulances.

Jarange has called for a protest at Azad Maidan on Friday, declaring that he will not leave Mumbai without securing a reservation. A large number of Maratha agitators have arrived in the city from across the state for this protest. The agitators have taken an aggressive stance, alleging that the government is ignoring them. With hotels and stalls in the area closed, the protesters began cooking breakfast and meals by lighting grills on the Mumbai Municipal Corporation road.

Due to the large gathering, traffic heading to and from Fort, Girgaum, the General Post Office, Mantralaya, and J. J. Flyover has come to a standstill. Traffic towards J. J. Flyover has stretched back as far as Byculla. BEST buses and many private cars are stuck at several points along this route. Senior police officers are appealing to the protesters to shift to Azad Maidan instead of blocking the roads. However, the police are facing difficulties as the agitators are refusing to move.

Since it is Saturday, many government offices are closed. Although employees going to government offices in the morning were not affected, those working in private offices have faced major disruptions. Many citizens had to wade through the crowd of protesters to reach their workplaces, and many vehicles were delayed due to the gridlock.

Maratha protesters have continued with their aggressive stance, leading to a massive gathering around the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Police are attempting to ease the traffic congestion, but as the agitators are not cooperating, two teams of the Rapid Action Force have been kept on standby.

Lucknow: At 100 years of age, Hardev Singh had lived through wars, seen India’s independence, and spent a long career in the Merchant Navy. But nothing prepared him for the ordeal he faced last week in his own home in Lucknow, when a group of cyberfraudsters held him under what police describe as “digital arrest” for six straight days.

The nightmare began when Singh picked up a call from an unfamiliar number. On the other end were men posing as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They accused him of being linked to a money laundering case and warned of dire consequences if he did not cooperate.

What followed was psychological captivity. Singh was ordered to stay on the call constantly, cut off from the outside world, unable to tell anyone what was happening. The callers directed him to remain isolated while they demanded details about his finances.

The deception deepened when Singh’s son returned home and learned of the situation. Hoping to shield his father from further harassment, he took over the call. But the fraudsters threatened him too, insisting that money must be transferred to several bank accounts for “verification.” They promised that every rupee would be returned once checks were complete.

Fearful and under pressure, Singh’s son complied, transferring ₹1.29 crore in multiple installments. The promised refunds never came. It was only then that the family realized they had been the victims of a sophisticated cybercrime operation.

The ordeal ended with a complaint to the national cybercrime helpline (1930), after which a case was registered at Sarojini Nagar police station. Investigators are now tracking the fraudsters using the mobile numbers and bank details shared by the family.

Police officials say cases of “digital arrest” are on the rise, with scammers using fake identities of enforcement agencies to intimidate victims. Elderly people, often more trusting of authority, are particularly vulnerable.

For Singh, the experience has left scars beyond the massive financial loss. “They stole our peace of mind more than the money,” a family member said. “My father spent a century building a life, only to be tricked in his twilight years.”