The civic body has issued notice to Manish Malhotra under section 351 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888.

The BMC has issued a notice to fashion designer Manish Malhotra over undertaking unauthorised constructions and converting residential areas into commercial premises at his bungalow in Bandra West’s Pali Hill.

Officials said the notice was issued to Malhotra on Monday, the day his neighbour Kangana Ranaut was sent a stop work notice by the BMC over alleged illegal constructions in her office at Pali Hill.

Malhotra’s bungalow was inspected on Monday, when BMC officials had visited Ranaut’s property and a few other bungalows on Nargis Dutt Road at Pali Hill.

The civic body has issued the notice to Malhotra under Section 351 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888, asking him to furnish documents to prove that the “unauthorised constructions” are legal.

According to the notice, Malhotra has made unauthorised change of user from residential to commercial office on the first floor, illegal addition and alteration for cabin on the first floor as well as illegal construction of two structures with brick masonry wall and AC sheet roof on the second floor terrace.

Unlike Ranaut, Malhotra has been given seven days to reply to the notice. “If he fails to submit documents within seven days of the notice being issued, then the structure can be demolished,” said a civic body official.

Following allegations of double standards, BMC clarified that Ranaut was issued a “stop work” notice under Section 354(A) of the MMC Act, 1888 as construction work was in progress in her premises. Under the section, one gets 24 hours to file a reply.

“In the case of Malhotra, the notice pertained to a completed illegal structure under Section 351. Under this section, one gets seven days to prove the legality of his or her structures. So, there is no question of double standards,” said an official.