New Delhi, Feb. 12 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Maharashtra government on the environmental status of debt-ridden Sahara Group's 106-acre Versova land in Mumbai. The classification of the asset as a mangrove forest could impact the land's eligibility for sale through a bidding process.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and justices M.M. Sundresh and Bela M. Trivedi directed the Maharashtra state chief secretary to file an affidavit in 15 days.

The directive follows concerns raised by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), which informed the court that, according to land records, the Versova property falls under mangrove forest regulations.

Sebi is seeking to recover Rs.10,000 cro...