Bombay High Court on Thursday directed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officer from H-ward Bhagyawant Late to file his reply to the plea filed by Bollywood Actress Kangana Ranaut challenging the demolition of her office by the civic body.
On September 9, BMC had demolished a part of Kangana’s office in Pali Hill citing illegal structure violations. The notice issued by the civic body to Kangana on September 7 bore the signature of Late.
A bench of Justices SJ Kathawalla and RI Chagla also ordered Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to submit his reply to the plea filed by the actress. Raut and the BMC officer were made party to Kangana’s petition after the Bombay HC allowed it.
Kangana through her lawyers - Birendra Saraf and Rizwan Siddiqui - submitted a DVD of statements made by Raut and it also pointed out to the reaction - ‘Ukhaad diya’ - by the Shiv Sena MP after the demolition act. As this happened, the court insisted that Raut be made a party to the case.
Raut’s lawyer Pradeep Thorat asked the Bombay HC for more time to file the reply as he was in Delhi for the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament. Justice Kathawalla allowed time to Raut for filing his reply.
However, the court asked the BMC to file a reply by Monday on the behalf of Late saying that the hearing for the matter couldn’t be delayed. The bench also said that the demolished house can’t be left the way it is amid the heavy rainfall.
Recently, the actress has amended her petition before the Bombay HC seeking for damages worth ₹2 crores. However, the BMC filed an affidavit in the court opposing Kangana’s plea after which Kangana filed a rejoinder on Monday saying that civic body abused the ‘process of law’ by initiating demolition work at her office in Bandra.
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