HC seeks govt’s stand on illegal stay on demolition by Dy CM

The matter stems from an October 2021 letter from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, informing the residents of Albela Co-operative Housing Society and Naivedya Co-operative Housing Society in Vashi that they were occupying the building without an occupancy certificate

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra government to clear its stand by September 20 on the allegations of Eknath Shinde’s involvement in stopping the demolition of two illegal buildings in Sector 9 of Vashi.

Mumbai, India - September 03, 2021: Bombay High Court at Fort, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, September 03, 2021. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

A division bench comprising Justice Ravindra Gughe and Justice Ashwin Bhobe was determining a plea by Conscious Citizen Forum, a non-governmental organisation. The plea alleged that the deputy chief minister, who handles the state’s urban development department, had illegally stayed the demolition of a building earlier this year.

The matter stems from an October 2021 letter from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, informing the residents of Albela Co-operative Housing Society and Naivedya Co-operative Housing Society in Vashi that they were occupying the building without an occupancy certificate.

The buildings, originally constructed around 2003 by the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited in 1985, were demolished by the housing societies under the pretext that the buildings were dilapidated. This was allegedly to further the unlawful gains of Kishor Patkar, an aide of Shinde. The reconstruction of the building was approved by CIDCO and the NMMC in 2005.

The plea, however, alleges that the reconstructed building was unfit for habitation. The plea claims that a 2017 inspection by the local body revealed violations of the sanctioned plan and FSI norms. The plea further claims that despite repeated requests from the civic body for an application for the occupancy certificate with “as-built” maps, no such applications were ever made by the developer.

The plea further states that in March 2025, after multiple follow-ups by RTI activist Narendra Hadkar, a demolition notice was issued by the NMMC against the buildings. However, the demolition proceedings were abruptly stayed by an “order” of the deputy chief minister.

The plea claims that Kishor Patkar, district president of Belapur Vidhan Sabha for Shiv Sena, is a resident in one of the buildings, which has led to undue political favours being granted for illegal constructions.