Union minister Narayan Rane moves HC against BMC notice
The Hindu
It was issued to him for allegedly carrying out illegal changes in his Juhu bungalow
Union Minister Narayan Rane moved the Bombay High Court on Monday challenging the notices issued against him by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for allegedly carrying out illegal changes in his bungalow in Juhu.
On February 25, March 4 and March 16, the civic body issued notices to Mr. Rane directing him to remove the alterations otherwise it would be compelled to demolish the same and recover all the charges from the owner.
Mr. Rane moved court seeking to quash and set aside all the three notices and called them “perverse, illegal and in violation of his fundamental rights”. The matter was mentioned before a division bench of justices A.A. Sayed and Abhay Ahuja. The bench will hear the matter on March 22.
The petition states the notices were issued in the name of a company ‘Artline Properties Private Limited’ which was amalgamated and merged with another company in which Rane’s family has a share. After the notice was sent Mr. Rane’s wife and son had replied to the notice being erstwhile directors of the company.
The plea points out the Rane family had made a payment of ₹8,790 to retain the allegedly illegal portions of the bungalow.
A large number BJP activists, including Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel and BJP legislators, had assembled outside the house of Mr. Poonja on May 22 morning following the visit of a police team to question the MLA in connection with the two cases. Suspecting the arrest of Mr. Poonja, the activists stayed put outside the house and raised slogans against the State Government.