After SC rap, BMC demolishes 27 shops on Borivali plot reserved for bus station

The BMC demolished 27 commercial shops occupying the 3,400-sq-metre plot on Swami Vivekanand Road in Borivali East

Mumbai: Hours after the Supreme Court initiated contempt proceedings against Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Ashwini Bhide and ordered a freeze on her November salary over the civic body’s failure to clear encroachments from a plot reserved for a bus station in Borivali, the civic administration launched a swift demolition drive beginning 8 am on Wednesday.

The BMC demolished 27 commercial shops occupying the 3,400-sq-metre plot on Swami Vivekanand Road in Borivali East. (Satish Bate/Hindustan Times)

The BMC demolished 27 commercial shops occupying the 3,400-sq-metre plot on Swami Vivekanand Road in Borivali East, according to a statement from the civic body. The plot is reserved for a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus station under the Town Planning Scheme II.

The action follows a strong reprimand by a three-judge Supreme Court bench on Tuesday, which rejected the BMC’s request for an additional 30 days to comply with its earlier directions to remove encroachments and hand over the land. The court had imposed a cost of ₹5 lakh and initiated contempt proceedings against Bhide, ordering that her November salary be withheld.

The case concerns a long-standing dispute between the BMC and a private developer over the Borivali plot. In August 2025, the Supreme Court had directed the developer, M/s Parag Construction, to hand over vacant possession of the land and an administrative building to the BMC so that the bus station could be built. However, the project remained stalled because the BMC failed to clear the encroachments on the plot.

During Tuesday’s hearing, the BMC sought an additional four weeks to clear the plot, citing proceedings initiated by the encroachers in a civil court. However, the Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, rejected the request and questioned the conduct of civic officials, accusing them of colluding with the encroachers to delay compliance with its orders.

“Does it not show that your officers are colluding? We will send him to jail and then he will understand the sanctity of the Supreme Court order. Is he obliging us?” CJI Kant remarked. He termed the BMC’s failure to clear the land an “absolutely mischievous breach” of the court’s directions, allegedly with the direct support of those occupying the property.

Justice J Bagchi, part of the bench, also made it clear that the BMC could not seek further relief from the court while its earlier directions remained unimplemented.