Mumbai: Coming down heavily on the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) for shielding illegal constructions allegedly raised with the blessings of a former municipal corporator, the Bombay High Court has ordered demolition of three multistorey buildings and an unauthorised bar and restaurant built on government land meant for cattle grazing. A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe on September 22 expressed shock at the civic body’s inaction.
“This is another case which would shock the conscience of the Court inasmuch as on the land in question,” the court remarked. It noted that there are “three buildings which are illegally constructed without obtaining any permission whatsoever from Thane Municipal Corporation, which clearly appears [to have] the blessings of the then Municipal Corporator, as alleged in the petition.”
About The Plea
The HC was hearing a plea by one Niraj Kabadi alleging that three buildings — Wings A, B and C — were erected on plots at Mauje Majiwada, Thane, without conversion permission from the state government. Additionally, former corporator Bhushan Bhoir and others had started “Mogambo Bar and Family Restaurant” (later Madhushala Bar) in their wives’ names without approvals. The facilities have been used for parties and events, it alleged. The court noted that despite a coordinate bench granting police protection for demolition in January 2025, TMC failed to act.
“It appears that the Municipal Corporation had adopted an approach to subsist such illegality and was not very keen to implement the law of the land,” the bench observed, questioning why action was delayed despite repeated orders. The judges also referred to earlier proceedings in a plea filed by one Subhadra Takle, where 17 similar unauthorized structures in Thane were razed after court orders — a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. Senior advocate Ram Apte, representing TMC, claimed demolition was obstructed by attempts to gather public crowds.
The bench, however, refused to accept the excuse: “If the real intention of the Municipal Corporation was to undertake demolition, then the first step would have been disconnection of electricity and water supply.” Accepting Apte’s undertaking, the court directed TMC to issue notices within a week, disconnect electricity and water in 15 days, and carry out demolition thereafter with police protection if needed.
The concession of notice was granted only due to the festive season, the bench clarified, stressing that the occupants had long known they were in unauthorized premises. Ordering demolition of the “rank illegal and unauthorized” buildings, the court stressed that the civic body must show “real intention” this time.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
