SC raps BMC for razing shops in Andheri

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is upset with the supreme court’s dismissal of its lawsuit seeking a seal of legitimacy on the illegal demolition of a few shops at prime locations on the Veera Desai Road at Andheri (West) in 2003. And not without reason.

The case relates to the demolition of shops belonging to one Thomas Mathew, whose establishments near the St Catherine Ashram were cleared by the civic body on the pretext of constructing a road there. However, the civic body official stated that no road was ever constructed at the site. Also, the civic body could not submit relevant documents establishing its right on the shops, built by the Mathew brothers on the land they claimed was leased to them by its owner many decades ago.

Dismissing the civic body’s appeal, a bench of justices P Sathasivam and J Chelameswar slammed the civic body for its `inaction’ and failing in the duty to pursue the matter diligently as it does in hundreds of cases. They also directed the corporation to pay Rs25,000 as cost to Thomas Mathew.