BMC issues stop work notice to ‘illegal’ construction at Juma Masjid

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a stop work notice to Juma Masjid in South Mumbai due to allegations of illegal construction. Former trust members claim that unauthorized work is being carried out inside the heritage structure. The current trust denies the allegations and states that there is no construction happening at the mosque. A writ petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court regarding the issue.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent a stop work notice to Juma Masjid on Janjikar Street in South Mumbai after former trust members alleged that illegal construction was going on inside the mosque. The mosque also called Jama Masjid is a Grade-II A heritage structure.

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The former trust members also said that a writ petition on the issue was filed in the Bombay high court.

The civic body in its letter to the trust said, “Unauthorised work is in progress of recasting of six numbers of RCC column of approximately 1.2 metre height inside the premises of Juma Masjid, behind the heritage structure without taking prior permissions from the competent authority i.e., BMC.”

The notice, issued under section 354A of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act to the owner/occupier/trustees of the structure, asked them to stop the work and submit permissions for the ongoing work.

Naveed Roghay, a former trust member, had earlier filed a complaint with the BMC. Roghay said that his forefathers had donated funds for the renovation and expansion of the mosque and alleged that the current trust was carrying out illegal construction work inside the premises which may damage the heritage structure. Roghay, who witnessed the alleged illegal construction a few months ago, wrote to the Heritage Committee of BMC and to the C Ward office, raising an alarm.

“The only response I received from the BMC is that there was no illegal or structural construction work going on, only work like plastering and tiling was on, after which I decided to move the Bombay high court,” he said, adding that “In elections held in 2016, the first lot of six present trustees were elected and in 2019 the second lot of five trustees were elected. The major illegal constructions started in 2016 and continue till date”.

The current trust, however, said that at present there is no construction work happening anywhere on the premises. Presenting documents, the trustees said that the allegations of illegal construction inside the heritage structure are baseless and an election gimmick. “We had elections this month for the trust and these allegations are to malign the image of the trust by the former trustees. It is a matter of internal politics,” a trustee said.

Najib Tungekar, custodian of the trust, said, “We had permission from the Heritage Committee to Committee to repair/reconstruct four different things. Of this, three works were completed and work for reconstruction of the roof has been pending. The permission to reconstruct the roof has already been in place since 2015 but the work did not happen.”

“Currently, there is absolutely no construction happening in the heritage structure. A writ petition has been filed in the HC and we will respond to it with all the facts and documents when it comes up for hearing. The trust has not done anything wrong. All facts will be presented to the BMC as well in regard to their stop work notice,” he added.