The move came after the HC on the same morning (October 23) had granted interim relief to Shirsat to continue as a member of the Standing Committee of the BMC until the court hears his plea.The Bombay High Court on Tuesday continued interim relief to BJP-nominated Brihanmu-mbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) corporator Bhalchandra Shirsat to remain as a member of the Standing Committee of the civic body till next week, when the court will hear his plea challenging the removal.
The court also granted liberty to Shirsat to amend his plea and challenge the decision of BMC’s general body ratifying panel’s decision to disqualify him.
Shirsat was disqualified from the Standing Committee by the chairman and Shiv Sena leader Yashwant Jadhav on October 21 and he had subsequently moved court challenging the order, to remove him as a member of the Standing Committee, on the ground that it was ‘illegal’ and in ‘colourable exercise of power’.
The Shiv Sena-led BMC, during the “urgent” general body meeting convened on October 23, ratified the Standing Committee’s decision to disqualify Shirsat as a member of the Standing Committee.
The move came after the HC on the same morning (October 23) had granted interim relief to Shirsat to continue as a member of the Standing Committee of the BMC until the court hears his plea.
The HC had allowed the general body of the BMC to proceed with the meeting to take a decision as to whether Shirsat should be allowed to continue as a member of the committee. It, however, had asked the civic body not to implement the decision, if being averse to petitioner Shirsat till October 27.
On Tuesday, a division bench of Justice S J Kathawalla and Justice P K Chavan was hearing Shirsat’s plea and it was informed by advocate Amogh Singh that Shirsat wanted to amend the plea and challenge general body’s October 23 decision, which the bench allowed and asked him to carry out the amendment by Monday, November 2. Moreover, it said that the earlier order granting interim relief to Shirsat will continue till further hearing on November 5.