Will pay Rs 24 lakh for illegal banners, assault to civic staff: BJP corporator tells Bombay HC
Rosy Sequeira | TNN | Mar 21, 2019, 08:35 IST
BJP corporator from K east ward, Murji Patel MUMBAI: BJP corporator Murji Patel from K east ward, Andheri on Wednesday told Bombay High Court he will pay BMC Rs 24 lakh as compensation for obstruction, threats and assault to civic staff who were removing illegal banners.
A bench of justice Abhay Oka and justice M S Sanklecha, hearing a contempt petition against Patel and his seven supporters in respect of a January 2018 incident, directed that the municipal commissioner shall accept the amount and utilise it towards paying municipal staff who sustained injuries. The hoardings were put up on a municipal ground and a footpath by Jivanjyoti Pratishthan run by Patel and his corporator wife Kesar.
BMC, including licence inspector Uttam Sarvade, moved HC saying Patel and his seven supporters, all BJP workers, violated HC’s January 31, 2017 order that directed corporations in Maharashtra to remove illegal sky-signs, hoardings, advertisements and banners.
On March 13 senior advocate Prasad Dhakephalkar, representing Patel, said as the banners were of his organisation he will take responsibility for them but not what subsequently happened as he was not at the spot. He said Patel understands the implications of what happened and will set up a grievance redressal mechanism to report illegal hoardings in his ward. The court then said Patel must accept full responsibility if he wants to drop the contempt proceedings.
Dhakephalkar on Wednesday submitted an affidavit in which Patel tendered his unconditional apology and offered to pay a "voluntary donation" of Rs 24 lakh. He undertook "to not erect or cause to erect" illegal banners and will take atleast one round of the ward once a week to check and lodge complaints of illegal hoardings. Since Patel sought two months to pay the amount, the court has kept the contempt petition pending. Patel is directed to file an affidavit giving details of complaints and the BMC to state "how many complaints lodged " at the next hearing on June 2.
The judges differed hearing of the contempt notices to the seven supporters till disposal of case filed in the matter in a lower court.
A bench of justice Abhay Oka and justice M S Sanklecha, hearing a contempt petition against Patel and his seven supporters in respect of a January 2018 incident, directed that the municipal commissioner shall accept the amount and utilise it towards paying municipal staff who sustained injuries. The hoardings were put up on a municipal ground and a footpath by Jivanjyoti Pratishthan run by Patel and his corporator wife Kesar.
BMC, including licence inspector Uttam Sarvade, moved HC saying Patel and his seven supporters, all BJP workers, violated HC’s January 31, 2017 order that directed corporations in Maharashtra to remove illegal sky-signs, hoardings, advertisements and banners.
On March 13 senior advocate Prasad Dhakephalkar, representing Patel, said as the banners were of his organisation he will take responsibility for them but not what subsequently happened as he was not at the spot. He said Patel understands the implications of what happened and will set up a grievance redressal mechanism to report illegal hoardings in his ward. The court then said Patel must accept full responsibility if he wants to drop the contempt proceedings.
Dhakephalkar on Wednesday submitted an affidavit in which Patel tendered his unconditional apology and offered to pay a "voluntary donation" of Rs 24 lakh. He undertook "to not erect or cause to erect" illegal banners and will take atleast one round of the ward once a week to check and lodge complaints of illegal hoardings. Since Patel sought two months to pay the amount, the court has kept the contempt petition pending. Patel is directed to file an affidavit giving details of complaints and the BMC to state "how many complaints lodged " at the next hearing on June 2.
The judges differed hearing of the contempt notices to the seven supporters till disposal of case filed in the matter in a lower court.
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