Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the State government to file an affidavit on the allegations made by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which has said that Housing Minister Prakash Mehta opposed removal of encroachments.
A Division Bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Anil Menon was hearing a PIL concerning illegal encroachments around the pipe lines in the city.
The BMC had submitted an affidavit on April 26, listing instances where it could not demolish encroachments. The affidavit read, “On April 15, 2017, a demolition was to be carried out and the police refused to give bandobast for no visible reason. On April 20, the police denied to provide any protection to carry out demolition of huts at Ghatkopar, saying they have to maintain [a] law and order situation.”
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The affidavit mentions, “At the N ward office, arrangements were made to carry out a demolition and senior police inspector of Tilak Nagar police station [was requested for] providing protection. [However,] Housing Minister Prakash Mehta, [who] was present at the police station, opposed the demolition.”