Civic body regrets issuing demolition notices, withdraws them after court rap

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The Municipal Corporation on Thursday told the High Court it had withdrawn demolition notices served to property owners on Adalat Road, expressing regret over the action.

The civic body had earlier issued a notice on July 14, directing owners to remove part of their construction within seven days or face demolition. This, despite previously assuring the court that no action would be taken while the case was pending. During the hearing on July 17, the corporation’s advocate Sambhaji Tope informed the division bench about the withdrawal and expressed regret. The court reminded the civic body to strictly follow legal procedures and Supreme Court guidelines, especially when dealing with private property and road widening cases. Property owners, including Nagpal Projects, Manasinh Pawar (Ratnaprabha Motors), and Amardeep Kohli, argued that their buildings were legal and backed by valid construction permits. They said the new development plan proposes widening Adalat Road from 40 to 45 meters, which legally requires land acquisition, not direct demolition. They also objected to using the road divider as a midpoint for marking encroachments. Even after the withdrawal, petitioners urged the court to ensure they are not subjected to recurring threats of eviction. They stressed that unless due land acquisition and compensation are carried out, no action should be taken against legal structures. Advocates Devdatt Palodkar, Anil Bajaj, and D.J. Chaudhary, assisted by Sudarshan Nimbalkar and Isha Deshpande, appeared for the petitioners. Advocates Tope and Suhas Urgunde assured the court that the corporation would not act against legal constructions without following the law.