Kishore Kumar's house won't be demolished, says district collector

Kishore Kumar and his actor brothers had spent their formative years in the house

Khandwa district collector today stopped execution of a demolition notice to the owner of the ancestral house of legendary singer Kishore Kumar here.

Khandwa Municipal Corporation had issued the notice, ordering demolition of a dilapidated portion of "Gaurikunj", a one-storey building in Bombay Bazaar area of Khandwa city.

"A directive has been issued to the civic authorities to stop execution of the notice. They had served the notice to avoid any mishap in case the dilapidated part were to collapse in heavy rains," district collector Abhishek Singh said.

The administration has now asked the civic body to prevent movement of people near the dilapidated part, he said.

Yesterday, the municipal corporation pasted a notice on the building' wall, asking the owner to demolish a dilapidated part of the structure. If it was not done, the corporation would pull it down, the notice warned.

The rear portion is in dilapidated condition and could prove dangerous, commissioner J J Joshi had said, adding that nobody lives there now.

Kishore Kumar and his actor brothers Ashok Kumar and Anoop Kumar had spent their formative years in the house.

Kishore, who was born in Khandwa, often said he wanted to return to his birthplace, a wish that remained unfulfilled till his death on October 13, 1987.

Front part of the building has some shops.

Sunil Jain of Kishore Sanskritik Prerna Manch, a local organisation, said it has been demanding for long that the house be declared 'National Kishore Memorial'.

"The building can be turned into a memorial if family members of Kishore-da hand it over to the government. Or the state government can acquire it," Jain said.

Sitaram, a security guard who once looked after the property, said it was now in the possession of Anoop Kumar's son, Arjun. "I have informed Arjun about the notice," he said.