July 5, 2025: In a strongly worded judgment, the Bombay High Court has directed the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to demolish a complex of five illegally constructed buildings in Chanje village, Uran, within four weeks. The division bench of Justices A.S. Gadkari and Kamal Khata, in their June 20 order, observed that there was “overwhelming evidence of material suppression, misleading actions, and apparent collusion” between the developers and CIDCO officials.
“This is yet another case where the authorities have been complicit in promoting and tolerating illegal and unauthorised constructions, despite being consistently alerted through written complaints from citizens,” the court noted. The village, located just 15 minutes from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, has gained strategic importance since the opening of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu).
However, the Supreme Court granted an interim stay on the High Court’s order on June 27 after the landowner, Vivek Deshmukh, and developer Vinayak Developers challenged the ruling. “We make it clear that no eviction operation shall be carried out without the leave of this court,” the apex court stated.
The original petition was filed by Uran residents Meenanath Patil and Vijay Jadhav, who alleged that construction began in 2013 using a gram panchayat NOC—despite CIDCO’s approval being mandatory. Despite complaints since 2013, CIDCO only issued demolition notices and an FIR after significant construction had occurred.
Petitioners’ lawyer Abhinandan Vagyani remarked, “By this time, an entire complex of five buildings had already been constructed illegally…”
The High Court criticised CIDCO’s delayed and superficial response, noting that “innocent flat purchasers” had been misled. Still, it held that buyers who failed to verify legal documents bore some responsibility. The court also directed disciplinary action against erring CIDCO officials and the developers, while overturning a 2024 status quo order by a Uran civil judge.
Source: Hindustan Times
