Summary: The Bombay High Court has told the Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) to tear down buildings that shouldn't have been built on a piece of land meant for a police station. This case shows the ongoing problems with illegal building and the city's lack of action.
The people who brought the case, led by Nihal Ahmed Abdullah, say they own a piece of land in Malegaon City. This land, bought by their father in 1986, was later set aside for a police station and staff housing in a new city plan. Even so, the land hasn't been taken over for this public use.
Nihal Ahmed Abdullah and the others have complained many times about buildings being put up on their land without permission. They say these buildings shouldn't be there and that the MMC has ignored their complaints since 2021. They tried to push for action in 2017 by sending a notice to buy the land, but nothing happened.
The MMC, led by Commissioner Ravindra Seshrao Jadhav, admitted that the buildings shouldn't be there but gave several reasons for not doing anything, like the rainy season and not having police help. They said the problem was a private matter and not as important as other public projects.
"There are many more important works of public nature that deserve the attention of the Respondent No. 1." - MMC's statement
Judges G. S. Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe were surprised by MMC's lack of action, saying that getting rid of illegal buildings should be a top priority. They pointed out that MMC's reasons didn't make sense and stressed the need for the city to do its job.
"We wonder what can be of more priority to MMC than removal of the aforesaid illegal/unauthorized constructions."
The court mentioned earlier cases where illegal buildings were ordered to be torn down, showing that the courts are serious about this issue.
The court told the MMC to tear down the illegal buildings within 30 days and to get police help if needed. The question of who owns the land can be dealt with in future legal cases.
This case highlights the ongoing problems in city planning and the important role city officials play in enforcing the rules.
