Owner may face action for damaging building

Criminal action is likely to be taken against the owners of a Thane society building and its developer, reports HT Correspondent.

Criminal action is likely to be taken against the owners of a Thane society building and its developer.

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They have been accused for allegedly causing damage to the building’s pillars to get it declared as dilapidated, and make benefits under redevelopment.

“Your client has landed himself in difficulty by approaching this court,” reminded division bench of Justice D.B. Bhosale and Justice A.R. Joshi to the petitioner Pankaj Mhatre’s lawyer S.M. Oak.

“He has played a mischief,” added the judges.

Making it clear that the court will direct the police to investigate the damaging of the building, Justice Bhosale observed, “The damage is not due to natural erosion, it has been caused manually.”

Advocate Shyam Marwadi, appointed by the court to defend one of the respondents, alleged that the owners had sent some goons to damage the building.

The court has now asked Naupada police not to allow any person inside the building carrying any material for repairing the damage previously caused- in order to avoid criminal action.

During the course of the hearing on Mhatre's petition the judges were annoyed after seeing photographs, which indicated deliberate damage was caused to the 20-year-old building so as to get it declared dilapidated and pave the way for its redevelopment.

Mhatre moved the high court seeking directions to Naupada police to comply with a notice issued by Thane Municipal Corporation to evict two members opposing the redevelopment of the building.