Mumbai BMC Replaces Law Department In-Charge After Supreme Court Action Over Borivali East Encroachments

Mumbai: In the wake of the Supreme Court's (SC) action against Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide over encroachments in Borivli East, the civic body has handed over charge of its Law Department to Joint Law Officer Sukhshri Modle, replacing Komal Punjabi.

Long-Running Dispute Over Bus Station Plot

A plot opposite Borivli railway station, originally reserved for a BEST bus station, has been embroiled in litigation since 1986, following a development agreement with a private builder. The prolonged dispute saw the land gradually become encroached upon. On August 13, 2025, the SC ordered the removal of encroachments and directed the BMC to operationalise the bus station within three months. Reiterating its directives, the SC extended the deadline to July 28, 2026.

Supreme Court Action Against BMC

Despite repeated SC directives, no action was taken. Punjabi was heading the Law Department when the apex court, on Tuesday, slammed the BMC, froze the November salary of the civic chief and issued a contempt notice over the failure to clear encroachments from a Borivli East plot. “Punjabi's handling of the case had upset the civic administration and standing committee members. The administration also felt it was not adequately briefed on the developments,” said a senior civic official.

Although the SC granted partial relief to Bhide on Wednesday by recalling its salary-freeze order, the civic administration has taken serious note of the episode. According to an order issued by the BMC's General Administration Department, the work of the Law Department, earlier handled by Punjabi, has been assigned to Joint Law Officer Modle as an additional charge until further orders. Punjabi was not available for comment.

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Rehabilitation Demand For Affected Occupants

Former BJP MP Gopal Shetty on Friday once again sought rehabilitation for all 27 affected occupants, asserting that the structures were protected and residents had documentary proof of pre-1995 occupancy. He reiterated the demand at the second meeting on the proposed demolition held at the BMC headquarters.

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