The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) how it could demolish the watch tower at Juhu beach in the name of safety.
A division Bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A.A. Sayed was hearing a petition filed by the Juhu Beach Lifeguard Association. The petition said that the tower had been at the beach since 2010, and that it had all requisite permissions from authorities. But in March, it was illegally demolished by the civic body. The association sought a compensation of Rs. 66 lakh from the BMC and urged the court to pull up the erring officers involved in the demolition exercise.
The advocate appearing for the BMC informed the court that it had received a tip-off from residents around the beach and from nearby localities that some illegal activities were being carried out there and hence it undertook the demolition drive.
The court adjourned the matter to July 4.
