Maharashtra govt rules out CBI probe into Ambani home land dispute

The Maharashtra government has ruled out an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the land dispute regarding billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s 27-storey skyscraper Antilla in Mumbai.

A senior state government official told Business Standard on Tuesday that the state government had already told the Centre that a CBI probe was not warranted as an inquiry was being conducted under Section 52 of the Commission of Inquiry Act.

Around eight months ago, the Central government had advised the state to let CBI investigate allegations that Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani had bought Wakf land, not permissible under law. The original owner, Karimbhai Ibrahimbhai Khoja Orphanage, a charitable trust, sold the land to Ambani’s Antilla Commercial Private Ltd in July 2002 for Rs 21.5 crore, much less than the prevailing market rate.

Arif Naseem Khan, the minorities welfare and Wakf department minister, told the state Assembly yesterday that following the Centre’s advice, his department had sought the opinion of the state law and judiciary department, which wanted the home department to clarify the matter. Some Opposition leaders in the state had also backed a CBI probe.

While Khan declined to comment as the monsoon session of the Assembly was on session, an official said records available with the state government have revealed the land on which Antilla was constructed did not belong to the state Waqf Board and there was no question of the board incurring Rs 500 crore loss as the land on the plush Altamound Road in Mumbai was sold to the Ambani at a much lower price than the prevailing rates.

The land, he said, was owned by a charity trust. Government records show the trust floated bids for sale of the land in 2002. During the bidding process, Antilia Commercial Pvt Ltd bagged the tender after quoting a price of Rs 21.5 crore. The deal was approved by the state Charity Commissioner in August 2002.

The Reliance Industries spokesperson declined to comment on this issue.

The deal had come under the scanner of the Maharashtra State Waqf Board, which served notice in April 2004 to Antilia Commercial seeking clarification on why its permission was not sought before the transaction was completed. The Karimbhai Ibrahimbhai Khoja Orphanage, the original owner of the land, deposited Waqf fund of Rs 16 lakh in March 2005 to the Maharashtra State Waqf Board.

Immediately after receiving the Waqf fund, the Maharashtra State Waqf Board withdrew its notice on the same. The state Waqf Board gave a no-objection certificate to Mukesh Ambani and this paved way for Antilia Commercial to carry out construction.

Meanwhile, the ruling Nationalist Congress Party legislator and former minister Nawab Malik and the Opposition parties have made a strong pitch for CBI probe. "The government cannot reject CBI inquiry on the ground that a probe is being currently conducted under the provisions of Commission of Inquiry Act.

Malik said the Adarsh Society scam is being probed simultaneously by the CBI and a judicial commission set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act. Therefore, Antilia should not be an exception.

The leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Eknath Khadase, also argued that the issue was quite serious and needs to be probed by CBI.