The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday issued yet another notice to union minister Narayan Rane to remove unauthorised alterations to his Juhu bungalow Adhish within 15 days
Mumbai The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday issued yet another notice to union minister Narayan Rane to remove unauthorised alterations to his Juhu bungalow Adhish within 15 days.
This is the second speaking order issued within five days from the first, issued on March 11. It comes after a hearing was conducted by the civic body on Monday, March 14, regarding the matter, and refutes pointwise to the replies given by Rane’s legal team on March 11 and 14, to the previous BMC notice.
Wednesday’s notice has been addressed to the director of M/S Artline properties, Neelam Rane and Nilesh Rane, wife and elder son of the union minister. In it, BMC has stated that the “statements [made in the replies by Rane’s legal team] are contrary to the record and do not deal with the contents of the notice dated March 4 [from BMC], and therefore do not prove the authorisation of the violations”
Rane’s legal team in its replies denied allegations of unauthorised alterations to the residential premises and change of use. Rane’s legal team alleged that the action initiated by the municipal corporation is born ‘purely of malice’ and ‘political vendetta’, personally from the ruling party Shiv Sena toward Narayan Rane.
In reply to this, BMC said in the latest speaking order that it has exercised statutory powers under the MMC act 1888. BMC said, “The insertion of posts, political parties, and alleging malafides cannot be an answer to the illegalities mentioned in the notice.”
As Rane’s legal team replied that “bitter political rivalry” has led to this “target at a personal level”, BMC also said that the signatory of the notice is an officer under the MMC act 1888, and therefore the question of control, rivalry, envy and targeting are irrelevant for the reply of a notice under section 351 of the MMC act.
Rane’s legal team’s reply also referred to the deaths of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and Disha Salian, which irked the Thackerays, to which BMC said, “The inclusion of random persons and investigations, and also attributing the notice to a dignitary unconnected with your illegalities cannot be an answer for the illegalities committed by you.”
The BMC had in the notice dated March 04, 2022, pointed out several changes of use in the basement of the bungalow and on all floors of the bungalow except the seventh floor.
A team of nine personnel from the K-west ward of BMC on February 21, 2022, visited Adhish bungalow in Juhu to inspect the premises. According to information, the team took measurements inside the bungalow to verify illegalities and also took photographs.
Rane who left Shiv Sena in 2005 following a power tussle with Uddhav Thackeray has been locked in a bitter tussle with the latter. Recently, he raised questions over the deaths of Rajput and Salian and alleged that the two incidents are linked to a Sena leader.
