Defence Estates Directorate seal 2 bungalows in Pune Cantonment area

Two prime bungalows situated on defense land, estimated to have cost approximately ₹ 150 crore, were sealed by the Defence Estates Directorate, Southern Command on Friday.

An Old Grant Bungalow (OGB) Number 15 on Staveley Road, spanning two acres, is the first property to be sealed, and sealed Bungalow Number 22 is situated on Napier Road within the Pune cantonment limits.

In response to nonpayment of ₹ 17 crore in arrears, the directorate has already started the process of taking over the New Poona Club, which is situated in Bungalow Number 2 on Rajendrasinhji Road. On Tuesday, a two-acre bungalow close to the Southern Command office, the Director of Defence Estates, and the IDES officers’ enclave was sealed.

Each bungalow case will be carefully examined, according to a senior official of the Defence Estates’ Directorate, and offenders will face severe consequences. Both cases involve fraud since the building was sanctioned under the name of the Holder of Rights (HOR) even though the owners had already bought the property illegally.

The Staveley Road property is a 5,500 square foot luxury high ceiling bungalow that is conveniently located in the Pune Camp area, according to officials from the defence estate. In an order dated January 5, the directorate stated that it had requested the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) to remove and demolish the bungalow’s unauthorized construction on August 14, 2023.

Defence Estate officials claim that a businessman fraudulently purchased the Staveley Road bungalow in 2013 without obtaining official permission. The businessman then applied for and received approval from PCB to demolish the existing bungalow and construct a new one.

The directorate had directed the Pune DEO to provide a final notice of five working days regarding the Napier Road bungalow and had requested an affidavit from the current occupant.

The bungalow on Napier Road was sold for ₹7.50 crore to a businessman from Gultekdi, according to the sale deed. The property was sold to the businessman by the original HOR and his five children may have sold the property, according to a document from the IGR office.