Supreme Court Stays Demolition of Adarsh Housing Society Building

The Supreme Court on July 22 stayed the demolition of Mumbai's controversial Adarsh Housing Society building. It, however, asked the defence authorities to take possession of the property, pending a decision on whether the construction of the building violated green laws and was done in collusion with politicians and bureaucrats to favour a few.

Earlier, in what appeared to be the culmination of one of the most publicised real estate controversies in India in recent times, the Bombay High Court had on April 29 ordered the demolition of Adarsh Housing society in Mumbai's plush Colaba area. The court had given the society 12 weeks' time to approach the Supreme Court.

PropGuide looks at 10 key features of the housing society and why it has made the headlines:

The society: Adarsh Housing Society is a 31-storey sea-facing skyscraper in Colaba, a posh South Mumbai locality. Built on land allotted by the Maharashtra government, the society is registered under the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960. Adarsh was meant to house war widows, war veterans, and their families.

The locality: Colaba is one of the poshest areas in Mumbai. Its attractiveness is increased by its proximity to the central business district of Nariman Point.

The controversy: Being a co-operative society, Adarsh was offering housing units much below market rates. However, it was later alleged that some politicians and senior bureaucrats bent the laws to make themselves eligible to hold houses in this society. The controversy that ensued hurt many a political career.

Jump in membership: From 40 in 2004 to 104 in 2010, the membership of the housing society had seen a quick increase. The reason was that the members had to pay merely Rs 60-65 lakh for a housing unit in Adarsh, while the market value of the property at the time could have been in the range of Rs 6-7 crore.

The building plan: The original building plan had the approval for construction of only six floors. However, Adarsh was accorded additional floor space to increase the number of housing units to 102.

Occupancy certificate: The construction of the building had started in the year 2003 and completed in 2010. The same year, the society received an occupancy certificate, which was later scrapped.

The original site: The building site, spread over an area of 6,490 square metres, was originally a park, called Khukri Park, until it was allotted for construction of Adarsh Housing Society.

Environmental issues: The locality, considered a sensitive coastal zone, also houses many establishments of the Indian Defence services. Adarsh Housing Society was also alleged to have violated certain environmental guidelines.

Effect on the adjoining road: The construction of the housing society saw the width of Captain Prakash Pethe Marg being reduced from 200 feet to 60 feet.

Security threat: The 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, with assailants entering the city via the sea route, brought to the fore the security concerns for the would-be residents of the 100-metre building.