The BMC began demolition of the ground-plus-fourstorey illegal building in Juhu Koliwada on Thursday. However, a few angry residents of the building slapped the senior citizen who had dragged the builder to court for the structure’s illegality.
Jaswinder Bansal said that his father had a narrow escape. “We are living in temporary accommodation in a building close to the demolition site. This afternoon, a few women, accompanied by a man, barged into our house and slapped my father. He managed to shut the door before they could assault him further,” he said.
He further claimed that when his father tried lodging a complaint with the police, the neighbours began making wild allegations. Finally, the Santacruz police registered non-cognizable offense.
Earlier known as Cajetan Chawl, the ground floor structure with six tenants, including the Bansals, went in for redevelopment in September 2018. According to the agreement, the six tenants would get redeveloped tenements on the ground floor and the builder Jatin Babu Nair would commercially exploit four flats on each of the three floors. A few residents of the redeveloped building have been up in arms against the Bansals ever since they refused to take possession of their flat. The family, upon realising that the builder didn’t have permissions, dragged him and the BMC to high court.
The BMC admitted that the building was illegal but said that it was helpless, citing a stay order on demolition obtained from the Dindoshi city civil court. The builder also admitted he hadn’t obtained any permission.
Following a rap from the division bench of Justices SJ Kathawalla and BP Colabawalla earlier this month, the BMC as well as the civil court sprang into action.
Out of the 17 apartments, more than 10 flats are occupied. However, all the flat owners will now have to approach the court to recover the money from the builder. On Tuesday, the BMC informed the HC that it will undertake demolition of the building on January 23, 24 and 25.
