Independent Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her MLA-husband Ravi Rana, on Tuesday, withdrew their suit from the Dindoshi sessions court challenging the May 10 notice of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) asking the couple to remove illegal additions and alterations in their Khar apartment.
Ranas had approached the Dindoshi sessions court challenging the notice and the order on various grounds. However, on Tuesday, they informed the court that they wish to withdraw the suit and apply for regularisation of the illegal additions and alterations.
Sessions judge DG Dhoble allowed Ranas to withdraw the suit after they expressed that they will apply for regularisation of their structure before the BMC. The Ranas have been given a month’s time to apply for regularisation before the Executive Engineer, building proposal department. The corporation has been directed to decide on their regularisation application within a month thereafter.
“If the proposal is refused for any reason, the defendants (BMC) shall not take any action for a period of two weeks thereafter to enable the plaintiff to take recourse of law,” said the court order.
However, the court has clarified that if Ranas fail to make representation within a stipulated period, then the BMC shall be at liberty to take appropriate action to enforce its notice dated May 10 issued under section 351 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888.
On May 10, the BMC had issued a show-cause notice under section 351 of the MMC Act to Ranas for altering the approved plans. The couple was asked to reply within seven days with appropriate reasons.
The Ranas submitted their written reply to the BMC on May 19, but it was found unsatisfactory by the BMC’s H-West ward office.
On May 20, the BMC issued a speaking to minutes order directing them to remove the illegalities and restore the flat to its original condition – in accordance with the sanctioned plan for the building within seven days.
On May 9, the BMC officers had visited Ranas’ eighth-floor apartment in the Lavie building in Khar and claimed to have noticed several illegalities. These included a merged lift lobby area with the habitable area, the sloping roof flattened to merge with a bedroom, a void beside the sloping roof converted into a balcony, the living room subdivided into a kitchen and a bedroom, a balcony enclosed with an adjoining bedroom, a toilet and void on one side merged with a bedroom, two bedrooms on one side of the flat are merged, and elevations and projections merged with an adjoining bedroom. As per the notice, unauthorised alterations measure about 60 square metres.
