HC seeks Sanjay Raut's reply on Kangana's plea over bungalow demolition

    (Eds: adding court's observations)
    Mumbai, Sep 24 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Thursday
asked Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to file a reply to actor
Kangana Ranaut's petition against the demolition of a part of
her bungalow here, and said it will start final hearing from
Friday.
    The hearing can not be delayed because the bungalow
should not be left in the present partially demolished state
during monsoon as some mishap might happen, the judges said.
    A bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and R I Chagla also
directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) H-ward
officer Bhagyawant Late to file his reply to the plea.
    Late had signed the demolition notice served to Ranaut
on September 7.
    On Tuesday, Ranaut's lawyer senior counsel Birendra
Saraf had submitted a DVD of a speech in which Raut allegedly
made a comment threatening the actor. Following it, the HC
permitted Ranaut to make both Raut and Late parties to the
case.
    On Thursday, Raut's counsel Pradeep Thorat asked for
more time to file reply, saying the Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha
member was in New Delhi.
    BMC's senior counsel Anil Sakhre also sought more time
for filing reply on Late's behalf.
    Justice Kathawalla said the bench will begin hearing
the petitioner (Ranaut) on Friday and Raut could file his
reply anytime before his lawyers start their arguments.
    The bench, however, directed the BMC to file the reply
on Late's behalf by Monday.
    "Since 40 per cent of the Petitioner's Bungalow is
already demolished on 9th September, 2020 and the Bungalow
continues to stand in partially demolished condition, it is
likely that some mishap may be caused due to the heavy
rainfall in Mumbai. It is therefore necessary to hear the
matter at the earliest," the bench said, scheduling the
hearing at 3 pm on Friday.
    Ranaut, in her plea filed in the HC on September 9,
sought that the demolition carried out by the BMC at her Pali
Hill bungalow be declared illegal. She rushed to the court
after demolition began earlier that day.
    The HC then stayed the BMC's action.
    She subsequently amended her plea to demand Rs two
crore as damages from the civic body and its officials.
    In her plea, Ranaut alleged that the BMC had
demolished the bungalow out of personal vendetta, since she
had made some comments critical of the Shiv Sena-led
Maharashtra government.
    The BMC in its affidavit denied the allegation.
    The civic body said Ranaut had carried out illegal
structural changes and repairs at the bungalow, and the
officers were merely following the law.
    The civic body also urged the high court to dismiss
Ranaut's plea and impose a cost on her. PTI AYA GK
KRK KRK

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)