The Deputy Commissioner of Police has ordered action against the JJ Marg police station after it failed to register a citizen’s complaint against the BMC. The 66-year-old complainant from Dongri, Kamlakar Shenoy, runs a hotel and had been demanding action against the civic body for four months over allegedly illegal beautification under the JJ flyover.
Shenoy had written to the DCP Zone-1 to take action against the police station under section 154(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code as it failed to register an FIR against the additional municipal commissioner (AMC, City). He alleged that the civic body carried out beautification works under the JJ flyover, Sales Tax junction, Ismail Merchant Chowk and other places of south Mumbai without crucial NOCs.
After around four reminders, the DCP (Zone-1) directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP, Dongri) to take action against the police station. Forwarding the complaint to the ACP, the DCP demanded “appropriate action as per law”.
Alleged Illegal Encroachment and Wasteful Spending by BMC Sparks Legal Action
Shenoy told the FPJ, “There has been encroachment on the roads in the name of beautification. There are huge boards like ‘I Love Bhendi Bazar’ that have been put up by the BMC but all of them are illegal. The BMC is wasting the taxpayers’ money in such illegal beautification works, whereas the Reay Road bridge, Carnac Road bridge and others are suffering,” he said.
Shenoy added, “The ACP might now say that he will launch an inquiry before filing an FIR, but the law says that he cannot conduct an inquiry and has to straightaway file the FIR. Even the Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic) had written to the BMC, asking to obtain the necessary NOC but the BMC failed to do so.”
