Pimpri-Chinchwad VIDEO: Church Demolished In Kalewadi Despite Claim Of Court Stay; Members Seek Answers From PCMC

Pimpri-Chinchwad: A church in the Tapkir Mala area of Pimpri-Chinchwad was demolished during a late-night civic operation on Sunday, with church members claiming that the action was carried out despite a court stay and hours before a scheduled hearing on the structure. The members said they had not been given prior notice before the demolition. They also alleged that police and civic officials pushed them away from the site and stopped them from recording the action.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, however, said it carried out a major drive against unauthorised construction in the Rajwade Nagar area of Kalewadi under the G Ward office. It said structures spread over around 7,400 sq ft were demolished during the operation. The civic body did not, in its statement, specify the court proceedings or stay order referred to by the church members.

Church members allege demolition before court hearing

A young woman named Rose, who said she has been a member of the church for around 10 years, said members learnt during the night that the structure could be demolished and rushed to the spot. “When we arrived, three JCBs were parked here and a very large police force was deployed,” she said.

Rose claimed that nearly 700 police personnel were present at the site. She said the members had informed officials that a stay order was in place and that the court hearing was scheduled for the same day. She alleged that the authorities entered the church premises and forced members away from the structure.

“We had a stay order. The hearing was on Monday. Whatever the court says, we will cooperate,” she said. Rose also alleged that members were prevented from taking photographs and videos of the demolition. She claimed they were threatened with having their mobile phones taken away and damaged.

According to her, the demolition damaged fans and other internal infrastructure inside the church. She said the structure had been built with contributions from members, many of whom had limited incomes. “We work hard. Many of our people are quite poor,” Rose said, adding that members had saved small amounts of money to build the temporary place of worship.

Member questions action against only the church

Another church member, a young man named Sam, said he had been associated with the church for five or six years. He said that around midnight, members received information that the structure could be demolished. Around 20 to 25 people then gathered at the site and began praying.

According to Sam, two or three large JCBs, halogen lights and a large police deployment reached the site around 3am. He said members tried to remove their belongings but could not take everything out before the demolition began. “Almost more than half of our belongings were left right there,” he said.

Sam alleged that no 24-hour or 48-hour notice was issued before the action. He said advance notice would have allowed members to remove their belongings and reduce their losses. The church members also questioned why the civic action was focused on their structure when, according to them, other unauthorised structures exist in the area.

“If this is an illegal construction, there are many other buildings around the church. Why are those not illegal constructions?” Sam said. He demanded a clear explanation from the civic authorities on why action was taken against the church.

PCMC says 7,400 sq ft of unauthorised structures demolished

In its statement, the PCMC said its administration carried out a major action against unauthorised construction in Rajwade Nagar, Kalewadi, on September 7. The civic body said around 7,400 sq ft of unauthorised structures were demolished under heavy police protection.

The operation was carried out by the corporation’s Encroachment Demolition Department with officials from several engineering and zone offices. The PCMC said 10 executive engineers, 28 deputy engineers and junior engineers, and 16 civil engineering assistants were involved in the operation. Staff from the electricity distribution company also took part.

The civic body said nearly 55 Maharashtra Security Force personnel were deployed along with police personnel to prevent law and order problems. The demolition was carried out using 11 Poclains, five JCBs and 25 manual workers, according to the PCMC. It also said 12 fire tenders and an ambulance were kept on standby.

However, the statement did not provide details of the specific legal order under which the church structure was demolished. The church members have now demanded an explanation from the civic administration, particularly on why the action was taken before the court hearing they say was scheduled for Monday. The central question remains whether the demolition was carried out in accordance with the applicable court order and civic proceedings. The Free Press Journal tried to contact senior PCMC officials for a detailed response, but they weren't available for a response.