Bombay High Court to BMC: Compensate Kangana for demolition damages

BMC demolishes part of actor Kangana Ranaut's office. File pic/Shadab Khan

The BMC's move to demolish part of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut's office, was condemned by Bombay High Court on Thursday. The HC declared the BMC action illegal and decided that a valuer would be appointed to assess the damage caused in order to calculate the compensation amount due to Ranaut.

The HC decision has given fresh ammunition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to target the Shiv Sena as it leads the civic corporation. BJP leaders have demanded that the exorbitant fee of the lawyers and the losses should be borne by Sena leaders and not tax payers.

Also read: Mumbai: 'BMC's Swift Action Suggests There Was Political Pressure,' Says High Court

BJP leaders have called the action revenge, that the BMC and Sena planned against the actor, for speaking against the government. After a controversy over Kangna's tweet comparing Mumbai to Pak-occupied-Kashmir, she was served a notice for illegal construction at her office at Pali Hill, Bandra. The BMC had acted immediately 24 hours after serving the notice, and had partly demolished her office.

The BMC had acted 24 hours after serving the actor the notice, and had partly demolished her office. Pic/Satej Shinde

Stating that it does not approve of authorities using "muscle power" against any citizen, the high court also said that the case was fit for awarding compensation to Kangana for the damages caused.

The bench said it was appointing private firm m/s Shetgiri as the valuer to assess the damages caused in order to calculate the compensation amount due to Kangna. The valuer would hear the petitioner and the BMC on monetary damages caused to her due to the demolition. "The valuer shall by March 2021 pass appropriate orders on compensation," the court said.

BJP leaders speak

While the BMC's move was then criticised by citizens who questioned how it had taken action so soon, when there are hotels and buildings being constructed illegally, and no action is taken against such activities. Even the BJP had targeted Sena. They have said that the BMC has already wasted tax payers' money as the civic body was paying Rs 82 lakh to the lawyer appointed to fight this case.

While the BJP city chief Atul Bhatkalkar has said that the money should come from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's pockets, the BJP group leader in BMC Prabhakar Shinde said the municipal commissioner and Mayor should pay from their own pocket, and not touch the civic body's kitty for this purpose. Shinde said, "The entire move was a revengeful act by the BMC and thus they should pay for it and taxpayers' money should not be wasted. As it is the lawyer fighting this case has been paid Rs 82 lakh so there is no need to pay more."

However, the BMC is yet to receive the judgment copy and will study the judgment and then decide whether to approach Supreme Court, said Mayor Kishori Pednekar while talking to the press. Pednekar said, "We will have to study the judgment and have to see if our side was put before the Court properly, we have an entire law department with us. We have been issuing 354A notices (to stop erection of building or work commenced or carried on unlawfully) as per the MMC Act, and the Court has in majority of those cases upheld the BMC's action. So we will have to find why it did not happen in the case of an actor."

- Agencies

Sept 19
Day part of Kangana Ranaut's office was demolished by BMC

Keep scrolling to read more news

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news