Court issues notice to SRK

Bombay high court on Thursday issued notices to all respondents, including actor Shah Rukh Khan, in a PIL alleging 32 violations of law in the construction of Khan’s bungalow in Bandra.

Chief justice Swatanter Kumar and justice AP Deshpande have asked the respondents, including Khan, the state government, the BMC, the ministry of environment and forest, and the heritage committee to respond in two weeks.

The PIL filed by social activist Simpreet Singh sought the disconnection of water and electric supply to Mannat, Khan’s home in Band Stand, Bandra. The PIL stated that the construction behind Mannat had been carried out by merging 12 flats meant to house the poor. Moreover, the PIL said that the construction within the open space in the premises was also not permissible under law.

The PIL also alleged that Khan was bringing up the structure in a space that was originally reserved for an art gallery. Also, as per the PIL, the land that Khan’s property stands on was wrongly notified as a liberal Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) - II when it falls within the highly restrictive CRZ-I.

Counsel for the petitioner YP Singh said that the PIL will be heard further on September 19.

The PIL also contended that Khan after purchasing the property from its owner Nariman Dubash wrote a letter to the chief minister seeking deletion of the land reserved for the art gallery. In September 2003, the government accepted Khan’s letter and directed the BMC to start the process of deletion of the reservation, the PIL said.