Supreme Court Dismisses L&T Plea, Orders Exit From Pali Hill Bungalow Occupied By Former Chairman

Mumbai, April 28: The Supreme Court of India on Monday dismissed a plea by Larsen & Toubro (L&T), effectively directing the company and its former chairman A.M. Naik to vacate a sprawling bungalow at Pali Hill in Bandra.

Supreme Court declines to entertain plea

A bench of Justices Prashant Mishra and N.V. Anjaria declined to entertain L&T’s Special Leave Petition (SLP), stating: “Having heard learned counsel for the parties, we are not inclined to entertain these Special Leave Petitions. Accordingly, the Special Leave Petitions stand dismissed.”

The order upholds an eviction decree earlier affirmed by the Bombay High Court in its judgment dated March 27, 2026, bringing an end to a protracted property dispute spanning over two decades.

Premium Pali Hill property to be vacated

With the apex court’s refusal to intervene, L&T is now required to hand over vacant possession of the approximately one-acre premium property at 54, Pali Hill Road, which had served as the residence of Naik for more than 20 years.

Dispute dates back to tenancy

The dispute traces its origins to a tenancy dating back to the 1940s, with the formal lease expiring in 1970. Eviction proceedings were initiated in 2001 by the landlord group, comprising members of the Kothari family and other co-owners, after termination of the tenancy.

During the pendency of the case, L&T acquired a 7% undivided share in the property from one co-owner and subsequently increased its stake to around 29.5%. The company argued that this made it a co-owner, thereby rendering the eviction proceedings untenable.

High Court rejected co-owner claim

Rejecting this contention, the High Court held that the objections were not bona fide and were driven by collateral purposes. It ruled that a co-owner’s stance, particularly when aligned with the tenant, cannot defeat the eviction rights of other co-owners. The court also observed that acquiring minority shares during litigation cannot be used as a strategy to frustrate lawful eviction claims.

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Senior lawyers appeared for both sides

Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Aryama Sundaram, Ranjit Kumar and C.U. Singh appeared for L&T. The landlords were represented by Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, Shyam Divan and Sunil Mittal.

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