Custodian of Enemy Property also discovers that the plot, currently worth Rs 680 crore, had been sold for a mere Rs 4.50 lakh in 1980, in connivance with two former CEP heads; developer moves high court.What began as construction of yet another high-end multi-storey building on Chapel Road, Bandra, has now attracted the attention of three central agencies - the Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP), Central Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence Bureau.The under-construction building by Jay Construction was sealed three weeks ago by CEP, as the agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) found that the plot on which it stands was owned by Pakistani nationals. The agency also discovered the involvement of two senior CEP officials, who allegedly colluded with the developer.The plot is next to La Mer Society, home to the likes of Aishwarya Rai and Sachin Tendulkar until not long ago.Jay Construction, run by Jayesh Mistry and Manish Mistry, are accused of buying the 2,862 sq mt plot - currently worth Rs 680 crore - for a mere Rs 4.50 lakh in 1980 in connivance with two CEP heads, D S Kolamkar and Dinesh Singh.While the deal dates back to 1980, the issue came to light last year-end: on December 20, 2013, CEP issued a show cause notice to the developers, stating that they purchased the plot from Pakistani nationals. On May 19, 2014 the building was sealed and the developer approached High Court.The controversy stems from the fact that the plot was once owned by one Aziz Tabani and his sister Mariam. They migrated in 1965 — Aziz to Pakistan and Mariam supposedly to UK. While Aziz became a Pakistani citizen and died in 1997 at Karachi, investigators are uncertain whether Mariam was a citizen of UK or Pakistan.While Jay Construction maintain that Mariam was a UK citizen and hence her share cannot be declared enemy property, MHA raised doubts about her nationality. “If she was a UK national how come she died in 1991 at Dhaka, which was part of Pakistan until 1971? If she was a Bangladeshi national, then her share was enemy property and the sale illegal,” says a MHA report.The ministry has concluded that both Mariam and Aziz were nationals of Bangladesh and Pakistan, hence the plot is enemy property. As per law, such properties are held by CEP and cannot be sold. CBI has backed MHA by concluding that two officers allegedly colluded with the developers.During investigations, CBI found that while the land was bought in the 80s, the deal was registered only in 1999. Kolamkar, then CEP head, issued a NOC to the developer. In 2005, Kolamkar’s successor Ruby Srivastva found something amiss and took back the plot. However, after Dinesh Singh subsequently took over as CEP head, the plot was handed back to the developers in 2007. “It can be concluded that the plot was alienated in connivance with our officers. We have initiated criminal investigations,” says a MHA report of May 16.Terming the deal as dubious, MHA concluded, “The role of Kolamkar and Singh, leading to alienation of the property for Rs 4.5 lakh, which is presently valued at Rs 680 crore, is an act of criminal conspiracy.”The developers have approached HC against the “highhanded and arbitrary” manner in which the property was sealed. While the hearing is on June 13, their solicitors declined to comment, saying the matter is sub judice.