The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused relief to actor Sonu Sood, who sought protection from action by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) against an alleged illegal construction at his residence.
A single Bench of Justice Prithviraj Chavan dismissed the plea seeking extension of stay granted by the City Civil Court and Sessions Court. Mr. Sood challenged the notice issued by the BMC on October 24, 2020, for alleged illegal conversion of residential premises to commercial.
Senior advocate Anil Sakhare, representing the BMC, said after the notice was issued under Section 354A (power of designated officer to stop erection of building or work commenced or carried on unlawfully) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the demolition work was also carried out at the site.
He said Mr. Sood carried out alterations under the garb of beautification. He built 24 rooms and was running a hotel in a residential building and that all alterations and additions carried out were against the sanctioned plan.
In reply to the plea, the civic body said, “The plaint before the City Civil Court and the reliefs sought therein constitute a malafide attempt and an abuse of process inasmuch as the appellant seeks to protect an ex-facie illegal commercial hotel which has been constructed and modified by the appellant contrary to the sanctioned building plan, in violation of the provisions of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act and which is operating in absence of any licence.”