India, Oct. 3 -- The Bombay High Court (HC) has questioned the legality of redeveloping 33 acres of prime government land at Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme. In a strongly worded order, the court noted that the land was being sought for redevelopment under the guise of slum rehabilitation, calling it a common method for diverting valuable public land. The HC expressed concern over the state's 'largesse', stating that prime land cannot be removed from the public pool and 'thrown open for private development' at a time when the city is already deprived of basic utilities such as gardens, open spaces, and other public amenities.

The division bench of Justices G.S. Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe, h...