August 28, 2025: Residents of Tardeo’s Willingdon Heights expressed deep frustration on Tuesday after the Bombay High Court denied their request for an extension to vacate the building’s top floors.
“We spent nearly Rs 3 crore over the past month to comply with fire safety regulations, including the installation of sprinklers. Each flat contributed around Rs 5 lakh. We ran pillar to post to secure compliance and obtain a letter from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, but our efforts were in vain,” said resident Satish Mehta.
The residents had sought additional time to secure the occupancy certificate (OC) from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), having already obtained fire safety clearance from the Fire Department. “We were hopeful for interim relief given our efforts to comply with all norms. The court was almost convinced, but the BMC counsel argued that we had only a Fire Compliance Letter, not the official NOC,” Mehta added.
A compliance report issued by the Mumbai Fire Brigade on August 25 highlighted 17 discrepancies, with only one remaining unresolved. The unaddressed issue related to the non-appointment of a Fire & Life Safety Auditor, which falls under the authority of the Director, Maharashtra Fire Services. Joint inspections were conducted with residents on August 14, 18 and 25.
Residents criticised what they see as unequal enforcement, questioning why their building faces strict action while thousands of others in Mumbai operate without an OC or Fire NOC.
The building developer, Satellite Holdings, led by Vallabh Thakkar until his death, has been largely absent, with his son Hemal Thakkar reportedly absconding for years.
As the High Court refused to grant an extension, the deadline for vacating the premises remains 27 August. Assistant Municipal Commissioner Manish Valanju stated that if residents fail to comply, notices will be issued before any forceful eviction measures are initiated.
Source: The Free Press Journal
