Narayan Rane's bungalow: Supreme Court dismisses Union Minister's plea, seeking stay on Bombay HC order

The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of a petition by Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Narayan Rane, seeking a stay on last Tuesday’s order by the Bombay High Court to demolish unauthorised portions of his bungalow ‘Aadish’ at Juhu in Mumbai.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka, however, gave temporary relief to Rane's family firm Kaalkaa Real Estate Private Limited, granting it three months to bring the structure in compliance with applicable laws.

Dismissing a plea by the firm owned by the BJP leader seeking a direction to the BMC to consider and decide its second application for regularisation of the unauthorised portions at the eight-storey bungalow in Juhu, the High Court had ordered the BMC to demolish those portions within two weeks and submit a compliance report a week later.

The High Court had also ordered Rs10 lakh as cost on Rane’s firm while refusing its request to maintain the status quo for six weeks to approach the Supreme Court.

“The application for proposed retention will amount to encouragement of large-scale violation within the city of Mumbai without any concern for the statutory provisions,” the High Court had said in its stern order. “We are not impressed by the petitioner’s argument about the additional FSI for regularisation. Application for retention of unauthorised construction is rejected.”