Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam today wrote a letter to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis demanding him to suspend the BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta with immediate effect in connection with Jogeshwari land scam.

He has also demanded stringent actions be taken against the BMC Commissioner after exposing the latter's involvement and nexus with the private owners in the Jogeshwari land scam worth Rs 500 crore.

In the letter, Nirupam stated, "The fact that the Jogeshwari plot in question worth Rs. 500 crore measuring 13,000 sq mts which was initially reserved for a hospital and other public purposes was deliberately allowed by default to be returned to the private owners makes it evident that this is a major scam in which the Municipal Commissioner appears to be hand in glove with the private owner."

Enlisting various acts of omission and commission on the part of the BMC commissioner and his sub-ordinates, which eventually led to this scam, Nirupam said, "Why didn't Ajoy Mehta approach the Supreme Court when the civic body lost the case in High Court? Also, being the head of the DP Dept, it was the prime responsibility of the BMC Commissioner to track the whole case instead of completely leaving it up to the Law Dept Officials. This indicates gross dereliction of duty or deliberate inaction in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy on the part of the BMC Commissioner."

He also pointed out the fact that the clerk of the DP Dept headed by the BMC Commissioner himself was arrested in this case after he filed a police complaint against two unknown persons for tampering the BMC Commissioner's notings on the case file.

Targeting the understated discrimination that runs in the BMC against the minorities, Nirupam said, "Valmiki, a Dalit peon of the DP Dept, who was in-charge of this file fell to his death from a running train only for his family to be at the receiving end for lack of concern from the BMC, the BJP and the Shiv Sena. His death needs to be investigated. We need to find out whether this was an accident or a murder executed only to wipe out evidence since he was a crucial witness."

In the hard-hitting letter, Nirupam also pointed out the increasing risk to life of the Mumbaikars due to sheer negligence by the Mehta-led BMC as he further accused the BMC Chief of criminal conspiracy in the Jogeshwari land scam.

The Mumbai Congress chief yesterday led a delegation of Congress corporators and met with Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) to file an FIR against the corrupt activities of the BMC Commissioner and some top officials in the civic body. The Mumbai Congress unit led by Nirupam awaits immediate suspension of the BMC commissioner following the fact that his involvement in the Jogeshwari land scam worth Rs 500 crore has been exposed.

Prior to this, the Mumbai Congress president has exposed Ajoy Mehta's involvement in multiple scams which has looted the Mumbaikars off thousands of crores.