Chef Moshe Shek has told the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation that despite the stop work notice to Magen David synagogue, Byculla, in May to stop unauthorised structural alterations in the Grade II heritage structure, unlawful structural alteration works are being carried out.
On Tuesday, Shek wrote to the BMC on Tuesday, sharing a video and photos as evidence. Shek, a member of Mumbai's Baghdadi Jew community, had complained about alleged unauthorised work earlier on May 19. He said that the BMC notice issued after the first complaint states that the work being carried out at the 19th-century synagogue is unlawful.
In his latest complaint, Shek said he visited the site on June 6 and found that welding works, breaking of wooden structures and columns were in progress. He said that a police team was called by dialling 100 and a vehicle affiliated to the Nagpada police station arrived on the scene to vacate the labourers. Shek said that the police asked them to show work permissions, which they did not have.
"They were then let off with a very "polite" not to repeat message. Our team waited for a few hours at the station but were refused registration of our complaint, even after having talks with our legal representative. My team was told to take the matter up with the BMC and heritage department by the Senior Inspector on duty," Shek said in his letter.
Shek has asked the BMC to reply whether any permission for repair work was given after the stop work notice and whether a conservation architect was hired for the work. He said that an illegal toilet was constructed with no permissions sharing a wall with the heritage structure.
Solomon Sopher, chairman of Sir Jacob Sassoon Charity Trust, which manages the synagogue, denied the allegations. "There is no work going on. We are waiting for municipal permissions and once we get the sanction we will make the synagogue better than before. I cannot comment any more at this stage," said Sopher.
