Special court cites insufficient proof, missing records, and unavailable witnesses while clearing the sole surviving accused.

Mumbai Court Acquits Builder in 44-Year-Old FSI Fraud Case Over Lack of Evidence.

A Mumbai special court has acquitted builder Chaitanya Laxmidas Vora in a 44-year-old alleged Floor Space Index (FSI) fraud case, citing a lack of credible evidence. The case related to allegations that, between 1980 and 1982, the area of a property in Vile Parle was fraudulently increased from 1,179.6 sq. m. to 1,249.9 sq. m. to obtain higher FSI benefits. The Anti-Corruption Bureau registered the FIR in 1992, while the chargesheet was filed only in 2016. During the trial, the prosecution examined just three witnesses, as many key witnesses had died or were untraceable. The original complainant was unable to testify due to dementia. The court also noted that criminal misconduct charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act could not apply to the builder, who was not a public servant, and found no proof of forged land records or manipulated documents.