Kangana Ranaut property demolition: Bombay HC adjourns matter, arguments to begin Friday

The Bombay High Court on Thursday adjourned the matter of actor Kangana Ranaut's property demolition till tomorrow. The arguments in the matter will commence from tomorrow.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who is currently in Delhi for the recently concluded Parliament session, had sought time to file his affidavit in reply. The Bombay HC allowed him and Brihannmumbai Municipal Commission (BMC) official time to file their replies, however, the Bench said that the petitioner's advocate will begin their arguments tomorrow onwards.

"The matter cannot be delayed as the bungalow is partially demolished and the monsoon season is going on. We will allow the petitioner`s advocate to start arguments from tomorrow," the bench said.

Earlier on September 22, the Bombay HC had allowed Kangana Ranaut to add Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and the officer who passed the order for the demolition of her Mumbai office as parties in the case.

A division bench of Justice SJ Kathawala and Justice RI Chagla adjourned the hearing on the matter till tomorrow. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had recently filed another affidavit in the High Court opposing Ranaut`s plea against the demolition and seeking Rs 2 crores in damages. The corporation had earlier filed an affidavit in the High Court stating that Ranaut has unlawfully made substantial alterations and additions to the property, contrary to the sanctioned building plan, and termed her allegations against it as "baseless". 

"The petitioner has unlawfully made substantial alterations and additions to the property, contrary to the sanctioned building plan... Even in the present writ petition, the petitioner has not disputed carrying out the said unlawful alterations and additions. Having regard to the work carried out and the contents of the sanctioned plan, there is no basis for the petitioner to dispute the unlawful work carried on," read the earlier affidavit.

The High Court had earlier this month stayed the demolition drive being undertaken by the BMC at Ranaut's property. Ranaut, through her lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui, had moved the High Court against the demolition of what the BMC termed as "illegal alterations" at her office. 

The BMC had earlier this month started demolishing parts of her office, which is situated in Mumbai's Pali Hills, for what it claimed were unauthorised altercations. The demolition had come at a time when Ranaut was engaged in a bitter war of words with Raut after her remarks that she feels unsafe in Mumbai and has no trust in the Mumbai Police after the death of the actor Sushant Singh Rajput.