Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a freeze on the November salary of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and other civic officials over their failure to remove encroachments from land earmarked for a BEST bus station in Borivali. The court also initiated contempt proceedings against Bhide and rejected the civic body's request for another 30 days to complete the eviction process.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana issued a show-cause notice to Bhide, asking why contempt action should not be taken against her for failing to implement the court's earlier directions. It also imposed costs of Rs 5 lakh on the BMC.
The bench directed that the salaries of the Commissioner and other officials remain withheld until the show-cause notice is decided and the court's directions are complied with. “You will not be drawing a salary till the 1st of December 2026. So comply before that. You come here and then you can draw your salary,” Justice Bagchi told the civic body's counsel, as reported by India Today.
SC Suspects Collusion Between Officials And Encroachers
During the hearing, the bench questioned the conduct of civic officials and raised the possibility of their involvement in delaying the eviction. “Does it not show that your officers are colluding? We will send him to jail and then he will understand the sanctity of the Supreme Court order. Is he obliging us?” CJI Surya Kant remarked.
The Chief Justice described the continued failure to clear the property as a deliberate breach of the court's directions, allegedly with the support of those occupying the land. He warned that the court could record these observations in its order. Justice Bagchi also made it clear that the BMC could not seek further time while its earlier commitments remained unfulfilled.
No Further Extension For BMC
Rejecting the request for an additional 30 days, the bench said it would not grant even a day's extension. “We are very clear that we are dismissing the application and we will not grant a single day's extension. Let them sit in the midnight and pass the orders. Let them know how to work,” CJI Kant said.
The court also questioned the BMC's explanation that Marathi documents needed to be translated into English before officials could proceed with the eviction. Referring to an affidavit filed by an officer identified as Dr Tambe, Justice Bagchi asked whether the officials did not understand Marathi.
Background Of Borivali BEST Bus Station Dispute
The dispute concerns a plot in Borivali reserved for a public BEST bus station, which has been at the centre of litigation involving the BMC and a private developer. In August 2025, the Supreme Court directed the developer to hand over vacant and peaceful possession of the property, including an administrative building, to the civic body. The BMC was given three months to take possession, remove remaining encroachments in accordance with the law and make the bus station operational.
After the land remained uncleared, the court sought a personal affidavit from the Commissioner detailing the occupants, eviction notices and pending tenancy or ownership claims. The latest order follows the civic body's failure to complete the process within the stipulated timeframe.
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