Summary: On November 26, 2025, the Bombay High Court, led by Judge Milind N. Jadhav, rejected appeals related to unauthorized buildings near Kandivali Railway Station, Mumbai. The people who appealed, including Vasant Dhakatu Gopal, faced big fines for hiding details of past legal cases.
In 1999, several buildings near Kandivali Railway Station were declared illegal by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). These buildings were constructed on land owned by the Nemi Krishna Cooperative Housing Society. Despite many legal fights over the years, these buildings remained.
The people appealing, represented by lawyers Mr. Naphade and Mr. Thorat, tried to challenge the demolition notices issued under a specific rule of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. They argued that they had been there for a long time and questioned whether the notices were fair.
"The people living in these buildings have not shown that the buildings are allowed or accepted by any policy," the court pointed out.
The buildings of the people appealing were previously involved in a legal case with 27 illegal buildings. The Saibaba Mitra Mandal, representing these buildings, lost their case all the way up to the Supreme Court by 2024. Despite this, some people filed new cases, hiding details of the past legal battles.
Judge Jadhav rejected the appeals, stressing that the people appealing had no legal right to the land. The court imposed heavy fines on them for their behavior and for hiding facts.
"These people before me are nothing but illegal street vendors and land thieves," Judge Jadhav remarked.
The court's decision underlines the need for honesty in legal matters and supports the law against unauthorized buildings. The people appealing were ordered to pay fines to the Kirtikar Law Library, High Court, Mumbai, within two weeks. This decision aims to discourage illegal buildings in Mumbai and address the problem of unauthorized structures in the city.
