Bombay High Court pulls up Maharashtra Minister in hutment demolition case
The BMC has told the Bombay High Court that Maharashtra Minister Prakash Mehta prevented the civic body from carrying out the order for demolition of illegal encroachment in the central suburb of Mumbai.
Maharashtra Housing Minister Prakash Mehta. (Photo: Twitter)
Mumbai,UPDATED: Apr 28, 2017 17:35 IST
The Bombay High Court has sought clarification from Maharashtra cabinet member Prakash Mehta after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed it that the Housing Minister prevented the civic body from demolishing illegal hutments in Ghatkopar area.
A division bench of the Bombay High Court was hearing a petition regarding directions sought to the BMC for eviction of hutments in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai's central suburb.
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The bench was a presided over by Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Anil Menon. The petitioner in pray had said that these hutments have encroached the pipeline that supplies water to the island city. Division bench had directed the civic body to demolish and rehabilitate the residents.
ILLEGAL HUTMENT DEMOLITION CASE: THINGS TO KNOW
- The BMC had submitted an affidavit on April 26, listing instances where it could not demolish encroachments. The affidavit read, "On April 15, 2017, a demolition was to be carried out and the police refused to give bandobast for no visible reason. On April 20, the police denied to provide any protection to carry out demolition of huts at Ghatkopar, say they have to maintain law and order situation."
- The affidavit mentions, "At the N ward office, arrangements were made to carry out a demolition and senior police inspector of Tilak Nagar police station was requested for providing protection. However Housing Minister Prakash Mehta, who was present at the police station, opposed the demolition."
- Mumbai's civic body has claimed that it is facing political interference while demolishing encroachments along all major water pipelines that run through the city. Following the BMC's affidavit naming of Mehta, the court had summoned the Advocate General and the in-charge of Tilak Nagar police station.
- The court was hearing a Public interest Litigation filed by NGO Janhit Manch seeking direction for removal of encroachments along all major water pipelines in the city.
- On Thursday, the Bombay High Court asked the senior police inspector of Tilak Nagar for details. The officer affirmed that Mehta had visited the police station on April 15 afternoon, the day the demolition drive had been scheduled. He, however, said the minister was there only to "check the police station" and that no entry had been made in the station diary.
- The division bench of Bombay High Court has asked the BMC to place all official communication since January in this case on record. After carefully examining the affidavits Court has now asked Advocate General to file reply on behalf of Maharashtra Minister.
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