Bombay High Court Allows Kangana Ranaut To Withdraw Her Suit Challenging BMC's Demolition Order, Grants Four Weeks To Apply For Regularization

The Bombay High Court has on Wednesday granted liberty to Actor Kangana Ranaut to withdraw her plea challenging BMC's demolition order regarding the alleged unauthorized amalgamation of her three flats in a plush Mumbai suburb from the Civil Court. The actor moved High Court after her plea for interim relief was rejected in December 2020 by a City Civil Court in Dindoshi observing that the alterations were in "grave violation of the sanctioned plan."

While disposing of her petition, the High Court has granted Ranaut four days to withdraw her suit from the city Civil Court in Dindoshi, and apply for regularization in four weeks. The directions were issued the Actor informed the Court that she would apply to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the regularization of illegal portions of her flat. The Court has granted her protection for another two weeks in the matter, in case a favourable order is not passed by BMC.

The Bombay High Court on its previous hearing had asked Ranaut to clarify if she will be approaching the civic body for regularization of the illegal portions.The BMC represented by Senior Advocate Aspi Chinoy and Advocate Joel Carlos had clarified that the actor could apply for regularization only if she accepts the BMC's notice is right and withdraws her suit. Senior Advocate Birendra Saraf and Advocate Prasanna Bhangale appearing for the actor had assured the Court that by the next date they would decide to either argue against the notice or seek regularization.

In her plea before the Bombay High Court she contended that none of the alleged unauthorized construction had been carried out by her and the flats are exactly in the same condition as they were when she was given possession. The actor claimed that other flat purchasers were also given identical notices by the BMC in March 2018.

The BMC had issued Ranaut a notice followed by a demolition order under the Mumbai Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act in 2018 for the unauthorized portions. The actor approached the City Civil Court against the order, which refused her interim relief.

The city Civil Court had in December 2020 dismissed her plea seeking interim relief against the notice issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for unauthorized alterations made at her residence in Khar in 2018. Other than challenging the notice, she had also urged the court to restrain corporation from demolition work for the removal of unauthorized construction.