Illegal hoardings: Bombay HC issues notice to BJP corporator

The Bombay High Court Monday issued notices to a BJP corporator from suburban Andheri and seven of his supporters seeking to know why civil and criminal action should not be initiated against them for allegedly assaulting a civic official when he was removing an illegal hoarding in the area.

A division bench of Justices A S Oka and M S Sonak was hearing an application filed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking action against corporator Muraji Patel and his supporters for contempt of court.

According to the civic body, Patel and others obstructed officials implementing the high court's order on illegal hoardings.

The high court had, in January 2017, while hearing a PIL, ordered all municipal corporations and district councils in Maharashtra to ensure that no hoarding is erected without requisite permission.

The court Monday issued notices to Patel and seven others asking why they should not be prosecuted under relevant civil and criminal provisions of the law for allegedly obstructing a civic official from doing his duty.

The bench has directed the eight persons to file their affidavits within three weeks.

The BMC, in is application filed last week, said that its officers of the K (East) Ward in suburban Andheri had received a complaint on their website in January this year regarding an illegal hoarding erected on a public road.

The officers concerned visited the site and started removing the hoarding and banners. At that time, several persons came to the site and started allegedly threatening the civic officials and abused and assaulted them.The BMC later lodged a case.