July 14, 2025: A multi-storey illegal building constructed on land owned by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s heir, Yashwant Bhimrao Ambedkar, in Kalyan has been demolished following a government intervention, State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told the Legislative Assembly on Friday.
The building, Tanishka Residency, was developed illegally on approximately 3,200 sq m of land currently registered in the names of Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar and others. Bawankule confirmed that 72 residential flats and 8 commercial units had come up without authorisation. The Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) declared the building unauthorised in 2023 and fully demolished it between May 20 and June 13, 2025.
“A complaint was received regarding the illegal construction by Lalit Mahajan and others. A notice was issued under Sections 260 and 267(1) of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act on 10 February 2023. During the hearing on 17 February, the developers failed to submit any authorisation documents,” Bawankule explained.
He further stated that the land has now been handed back to the Ambedkar family and that no third-party ownership or transfer has occurred. “The matter was brought to the Chief Minister’s attention, and we will initiate an inquiry against the officials who allowed this illegal development,” he said.
MLA Aslam Shaikh, who raised the issue along with Vijay Wadettiwar, Nana Patole, and Vishwajit Kadam, called for strict action. “This is a blatant case of land mafia. The fact that it happened on land belonging to Dr Ambedkar’s kin shows the extent of official complicity. Those responsible must be booked under the MPDA,” Shaikh said.
The case has highlighted growing concerns over unauthorised constructions and alleged land grabbing across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Source: Times Of India
