Here's the scoop: The High Court of Bombay has ruled in favor of six residents of Rakhmabai Mhatre Chawl in Mulund, Mumbai, protecting them from eviction for alleged unauthorized constructions. Let's break down what happened.
On March 15, 2025, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (BMC) sent notices to the residents using a section of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966. The notices claimed the buildings were not approved and demanded the residents fix them according to a plan from 1969.
The residents, including Anita Ashok Mapuskar and others, fought these notices. They argued that their homes had been there since before 1962, and they had been paying property taxes and utility bills for decades. They showed evidence like ration cards from 1987 and property tax records from 1988.
"The residents have been in these homes for over 40 years," argued their lawyer, Mr. Amit Ashok Gharte.
On December 1, 2025, Judge Milind N. Jadhav looked at the case and found the BMC's notices unclear and not good enough. The Court noted that the BMC did not follow the correct steps, like checking the buildings before sending notices.
On January 5, 2026, the Court canceled the BMC's orders, stating that the residents' buildings were not unauthorized. The judgment pointed out that the residents' rental agreements were transferred to the new landlord when the property was sold in 2013, confirming their legal right to stay there.
"The action of the Corporation is clearly a misuse and bad-faith exercise of power," the judgment noted.
The Court has protected the residents from any forceful action by the BMC until the legal case is finished. This decision emphasizes the importance of following the rules and the rights of tenants who have lived in their homes for a long time.
The Court's decision is a significant win for the residents of Rakhmabai Mhatre Chawl, ensuring their homes are safeguarded for now.
