A Thane court has restrained municipal officials from entering the ruins of a Portuguese-era church and demolishing or damanging the site till a suit over the property is disposed of.
The St John Baptist Church, Thane, had filed an application, saying that the land with the ruins has been in their use and possession since Portuguese rule in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. In 1993, there was a dispute between the church and Jankadevi Mandir Trust over the land. The church said that Roman Catholics pray at the site on Sundays and were worried that the municipal corporation will demolish the structure in the name of beautification of the plot.
The land on Pokhran Road was sold to a construction company by St John Baptist Church. The plot was later taken over by the Thane Municipal Corporation which compensated the company by offering it development rights elsewhere. The TMC plans to convert a part of the plot into a public playground. The Our Lady of Mercy church, which is located next to the ruins, has claimed the plot, arguing that the land is part of the 17th-century ruins. A dispute over the structure is pending before the Thane Civil Court and the Sub Divisional Officer.
It is alleged that in March 2025, municipal workers entered the property with earth-moving equipment and started cleaning and constructing a wall under the pretext of beautification. The church said that a boundary line of the property cannot be demarcated as the municipal corporation has not approved the plan.
Municipal Corporation’s Stand
The municipal corporation said that the church ruins have no heritage value and said that land needs to be protected with compound walls as there is a slum abutting it. The municipal corporation said they are undertaking beautification and construction of an open auditorium in the land in possession of the defendant and are not doing any construction activity on the suit property. The church argued that they have no objection to the beautification work but sought protection for their possession of property. The defendants said they had no intention to demolish the church.
Court’s Observation and Order
On September 9, Jayashri Jagdale, Joint Civil Judge Sr. Division, (T.M.C.) Court, said that documents filed on record prima-facie show that apprehension of the plaintiff that the ruins will be demolished is not baseless and restrained municipal officials from entering the ruins till the suit over the property is disposed of.
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