FIR against Kapil for flat alterations?

MUMBAI: The high-rise in Goregaon, which houses actors Kapil Sharma and Irrfan Khan, is under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) radar for irregularities.

MUMBAI: The high-rise in Goregaon, which houses actors Kapil Sharma and Irrfan Khan, is under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) radar for irregularities.

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Officials from P-south ward office, which issued the notice, said the police will conduct a panchnama after Ganesh Chaturthi.

The ward office will then file an FIR against the developer and flat owners and will initiate the process of demolition of the 18-storey structure.

According to documents accessed by HT, Dev Land Housing (DLH) Pvt Ltd was on April 28 served a notice under section 53 (1) of the Mumbai Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966 for “unauthorized work”.

The notice stated the builder had misused the refuge area on the sixth floor as a flat and an internal staircase connecting the 17th and 18th floor, too, was demolished. The notice mentions unauthorised merger of ducts, voids and part podium meant for parking with flats on almost all floors.

Vijay Thakkar, chairman of DLH, did not respond to calls and texted HT to get in touch with him on Monday.

Despite repeated attempts, Sharma was unavailable for comment on Sunday.

A senior civic official from the P-south ward confirmed 16 flat-owners were served a notice.

Local citizens and activists had complained of irregularities in the building in 2014, after which the BMC had served a notice to DLH.

However, the builder sought interim relief from the city civil court in December 2014.

Ashoke Pandit, filmmaker and social activist, who has been following the case for more than a year, said, “The parking area outside every flat has been converted into a drawing room. We want the occupation certificate (OC) of the

building to be withdrawn. The officers involved in giving the OC should be suspended and held liable for criminal proceedings, along with the builder. All projects under DLH should be investigated.”

The building was granted an OC in November 2013. The issue came to light after Sharma tweeted on Friday that he was asked to pay Rs5 lakh bribe to BMC officials for construction of his office.

His ground-plus-two-storey bungalow in Andheri (West) is also under the radar for illegal extensions.

Sharma, who owns a flat on the ninth floor of the high-rise, was also served a notice under section 53 (1) of the MRTP Act in April for unauthorised work and second inspection of his flat was carried out in June.

The letter, dated September 9, stated, “Mr Kapil Sharma had failed to comply with the notice requisitions.”

A complaint was then lodged by the ward in the Oshiwara police station under section 53 (7) of the MRTP Act.