Illegal police chowkies on HC radar

The Bombay high court (HC) has asked the Mumbai Police to furnish details of illegal police chowkies which are yet to be demolished.

While hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Indur Chhugani calling for the demolition of such chowkies, a bench of justices SA Bobde and RG Ketkar gave the Mumbai Police a deadline of four weeks to provide the details. 

In a PIL filed in 2007, Chhugani had demanded the demolition of illegal police chowkies. As per an affidavit filed in 2008 by the then joint commissioner of police (administration), Hemant Karkare, 269 out of the 388 chowkies in the city were illegal and without the requisite permission from the municipal corporation.

Karkare had also commended Chhugani for exposing the irregularities and had assured  prompt rectification of the anomalies.

The court on Monday also asked for the details of the illegal police chowkies which are yet to be demolished in the rest of the state within the four weeks deadline. The court said that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) could not give a “blank cheque” to the police to construct chowkies as per their whims and caprice. 

The order comes after a protracted battle by Chhugani against illegal chowkies across the city.

Chhugani had on earlier occasions stated that many chowkies put up hoardings and that their electricity supply was also often sourced illegally. Karkare’s affidavit had stated that the electricity in such chowkies was borrowed from neighbours.

An earlier bench of the HC had implied that it was the home department’s fault for its lack of planning in constructing the chowkies.

The court also noted that Chhugani was threatened by police officers if he continued to pursue his case.

Chhugani, satisfied with the directive, said: “There will be an improvement throughout the country step by step and this is a positive move towards it.”