Lata Mangeshkar bought a flat in 36-storey Pratibha tower in Mumbai, bulding was caught in a 1984 land scam, then demolished in 2019; now a 179-metre skyscraper is set to replace it

Lata Mangeshkar and her legandary playback singer and sister Asha Bhosle were among the original flat buyers of Mumbai's Pratibha building. The old tower became infamous after a 1984 construction scam involving an inflated plot-area declaration, lost its top eight floors to demolition and was finally razed in 2019. Now, a 179.4-metre skyscraper with 33 floors is planned to replace it, as per TOI.

The proposed redevelopment near Sophia College in south Mumbai will have 33 floors, with residential apartments from the eighth to the 32nd floor and recreational facilities and a fitness centre on the 33rd floor. Developer Crest Residency has outlined the building's layout, which has received clearance from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA).

What the new Pratibha tower will look like

According to the developer, the proposed building will comprise a basement, ground and mezzanine floors, six podium floors, an amenity floor and residential floors running from the eighth to the 32nd.


The 33rd floor will house recreational facilities and a fitness centre. At 179.4 metres, the proposed skyscraper will stand more than twice as tall as Mumbai's Rajabai Clock Tower.

The project will also involve demolishing a single-level bungalow on the plot. The property has been closely associated with questions over building permissions, land records and excess construction.

MCZMA noted that certain court matters relating to the plot were pending. Crest Residency, however, clarified that no court order restrained the project and said there was no pending litigation or complaint concerning environmental violations.

How the Pratibha building became a corruption scandal

Pratibha controversy first came to light in 1984, when then Mumbai collector Arun Bhatia conducted an audit of building approvals.

The audit found that the original builder had declared the plot's area as more than 9,282 square metres, even though its actual area was 7,197 square metres. The inflated figure helped the builder obtain an additional 27,000 square feet of floor space, according to TOI.

The building was nearing completion when the discrepancy came to light. It originally had 36 floors, making it one of the prominent examples of alleged corruption in Mumbai's construction industry at the time.

The top eight floors were declared illegal and demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the mid-1990s, following court orders. The structure was reduced to 28 floors.

The remaining building continued to stand for more than two decades before it was finally demolished in February 2019. The site was subsequently levelled, clearing the way for redevelopment.

Arun Bhatia said he was transferred after exposing the case

Bhatia, who later retired, told The Times of India some years ago that he was transferred soon after exposing the scandal.

"There were many officers involved, but I don't know if anyone was ever punished," he said.

The late civic chief Sharad Kale, during whose tenure the BMC demolished the remaining illegal floors, had also spoken about the case. According to his recollection, the architect had altered land records. Kale said the superintendent of land records in the revenue department had been jailed.

The episode became an early, prominent example of alleged irregularities in Mumbai's real estate sector, preceding other high-profile building controversies, including the Campa Cola compound case in Worli and the Adarsh housing society controversy in Colaba.

Wealthy buyers were among the original residents

The original Pratibha building had attracted high-net-worth individuals, non-resident Indians and private companies. Playback singers Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle were also among the original buyers, according to TOI.

Each floor contained two large apartments, adding to the building's profile as a property associated with affluent buyers.

Despite the building's history, redevelopment did not move forward immediately after demolition. In 2012, the housing society invited bids for the entire property with a reserve price of Rs 900 crore. Breach Candy Hospital was rumoured to be interested in expanding its premises, although the property attracted no takers at that price.

Redevelopment brings a new plan for the site

The proposed skyscraper now offers a different future for the plot, with residential accommodation spread across 25 floors and shared facilities on the uppermost level.

Its planned height of 179.4 metres will make it substantially taller than the original 36-storey Pratibha building, although the new structure's floor count will be lower.

The redevelopment follows the demolition of the old building and the clearance granted by MCZMA. The project moves the site towards a new chapter after more than four decades of controversy.

Inputs from TOI