Mumbai: Khar residents fear return of sleepless nights

The reopening of a restaurant that earlier went by the name Wakai as per BMC records in the B wing of the Mangal Sandesh building on 17th Road Khar has alarmed residents who fear it may soon be turned into a nightclub Renovations are currently underway which has left locals upsetResidents of 20 surrounding buildings are worried that the reopening could worsen longstanding issues tied to the establishment potentially becoming a bigger nuisance for the neighbourhood They have launched a signature campaign and filed complaints with both the ward office and Municipal Commissioner Bhushan GagraniAdditionally they have reached out to their local MLA and await positive responses from the BMC and other authorities Some residents have even alleged that the restaurant obtained its permits through forged documentsResidents said the restaurantrsquos garbage adds to the menaceAttempts to contact the property owner Manish Jain through calls and messages were unsuccessful The property is under the insolvency department and liquidator and has been rented out to Wakai Hospitality Private Limited midday also tried to reach out to Wakai Hospitality Pvt Ltd and those involved in the renovations but no one responded to calls messages emails and messages on InstagramldquoWhen the restaurant opened in May 2023 the music at Wakai was so loud it shook the whole building and despite our repeated complaints nothing changed Eight months later in March this year the restaurant shut down and we finally had peaceful nights Now we fear its return in a new avatar Donrsquot we have the right to peaceful sleeprdquo said Haresh Lalwani a firstfloor resident of MangalSandesh Article 21 of the Constitution states that citizens have a fundamental right to a peaceful dignified life without any encroachment on their privacy and to live life without public nuisance surrounding themResidents claim the restaurant was illegally approved having been converted from a studio to a restaurant They allege the B wing owner provided a selfsigned NOC by the restaurant owner himself without any authority and the knowledge and consent of the Mangal Sandesh building Puja House Apartment Condominium members without any authority Moreover the restaurant has reportedly extended its premises by enclosing the front open space of the buildingAnother resident Utkarsh Raipat added ldquoThe restaurant also misused a flat in the residential lsquoArsquo wing for staff security and valet quarters causing major security and inconvenience issues The restaurant enclosed the front space and installed air conditioning clearly intending to permanently misuse the areardquoThe residents of Mangal Sandesh and 20 other buildings on 17th Road have sent a complaint to the Khar Residents Association KRA Ashok Mansukhani from the adjacent Palazzo Residency said ldquoPeople would drink and fight and back then the gate was on the other side Now itrsquos near our building This road is too narrow for restaurants and therersquos no parking space Itrsquos also a fire hazard with no properescape routesAnandini Thakoor trustee of KRA said ldquoWakai opened last year in the rented lsquoBrsquo wing of Mangal Sandesh without the consent of the buildings residents but soon shut down The groundplusonestorey lsquoBrsquo wing is attached to the stiltplus10storey lsquoArsquo wing by a common wall creating noise privacy and safety concerns for the residents Now they may change the name of the restaurant but the nuisance will be the same or morerdquoShe noted that a letter opposing the nightclub in a residential area was given to Gagrani during his visit to Khar Gymkhana on September 16 Gagrani confirmed he had instructed BMC officials to investigate and take necessary measures to maintain local harmonyldquoWe have received complaints about the restaurant on 17th Road with residents citing noise crowds and parking issues Wersquoll conduct an inquiry and take appropriate actionrdquo said Vinayak Vispute assistant commissioner of the H West ward A BMC source stated that no specific policy restricts restaurants or bars in residential areas but they can take action if residents claim nuisance