BMC issues notice to Narayan Rane's Juhu bungalow for unauthorised changes

The Shiv Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a fresh notice to Union minister Narayan Rane's family, asking it to remove the "unauthorised" alterations at its Juhu bungalow within 15 days.

In the notice issued on March 16 to BJP leader Rane's wife and son, the BMC said the corporation will demolish the changes and recover charges for the same from the owner if he failed to remove the "unauthorised change of use" works.

On February 21, a team of civic officials had inspected the bungalow named 'Adhish', located in the upscale Juhu area, for the alleged violation of CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) norms.

In their March 11 reply to the BMC's earlier notice, the Rane family's representatives had dismissed the allegations and said the corporation's action (of issuing the notice) was "actuated purely by malice and political vendetta" borne by the Shiv Sena against the family and the Union minister.

The BMC in its reply to the point said that the owner was expected to answer the notice "as contemplated in law".

"The insertion of posts, political parties and alleging malafides cannot be an answer to the illegalities mentioned in the notice," the civic body said.

The representatives said Rane has been a vocal critic of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the manner in which the Shiv Sena is functioning in the Maharashtra government and the civic body.

"Moreover, our patriarch (Rane) being a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and serving as a Cabinet Minister, much to the envy of other political leaders in Shiv Sena, we are being targeted on a personal level," they said.

The BMC said that the notice was issued by its officer under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888 and hence, the question of "control, rivalry, envy and targeting are irrelevant for the reply of the notice".

The representatives had also said that the Union minister had "steadfastly" brought to the attention of the state machinery various details and information regarding the deaths of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and the latter's former manager Disha Salian.

They said the Supreme Court had directed a CBI probe into Rajput's death and all this has "irked" CM Thackeray and his party and "to vent out their anger, they ordered" the civic body to initiate such action.

The BMC said the action was initiated based on a complaint. The site was inspected, illegalities were noticed and the owner was later asked to show cause of the same.

"Therefore, the inclusion of random persons and investigations and also attributing the notice to a dignitary, unconnected with your illegalities, cannot be an answer for the illegalities committed by you," the BMC had said.

In the latest notice, the BMC has said a personal hearing was also held on March 14 and that Rane's representatives did not answer on any issues to prove that the change of use was authorised.

"You are hereby directed to remove the said unauthorised change of use works as mentioned in the above referred notice within 15 days from the date hereof, failing which, the unauthorised change of use works mentioned in the notice will be demolished/removed departmentally at your risk and cost and the charges of the demolition will be recovered from you through assessment department," the BMC said.

"You shall further note that, if you fail to comply, you will be liable to prosecution under section 475 A of MMC Act," the corporation said.

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