Man can build Panhala house near fort: Bombay high court

The Bombay high court recently granted relief to a former scientific officer of Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), Dr Kshitij Kulkarni, by allowing him to move a fresh application before the Panhala Municipal Council, seeking permission to build his house near the Panhala fort as the competent authority has not been able to decide his plea for the last three months. If the council also fails to give him permission then he can go ahead with constructing his house.

The division bench  said, “In the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case including the fact that the petitioner is a retired officer and that, the petitioner has proposed to re-construct his residential house of the dimensions as indicated above, we are of the view that interests of justice will be served if the petition is disposed of with a direction to Municipal Council to consider his plea, as expeditiously as possible.”

Kulkarni who wanted to reconstruct his house which falls within 300  meters of the Panhala fort was served a stop work notice by the local authorities, under provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010.