A redevelopment project involving a church-leased property on Pereira Road in Bandra (West) has become the subject of a legal dispute, with a family claiming partial tenancy rights, alleging they were evicted without adequate consultation or due process. The land, estimated to be worth around Rs 250 crore, has been handed over to a private developer for redevelopment, while the matter remains under judicial consideration.
The dispute centres on House No. 35, Pereira House, Plot No. 233, where the Steven family has been engaged in litigation for nearly five years. Although the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished the structure after declaring it unsafe, the Bombay High Court has clarified that the demolition does not determine the family’s tenancy or any other legal rights, which continue to be pending before the courts.
“The property, which belongs to the Church, has been transferred to a developer for barely 20% of its value. We have lived here for over five decades. The parish priest connived with the developer, declared the building dilapidated and deprived us of our legal rights,” alleged Ethel Steven, who has been fighting the case for five years.
The family has alleged that the building was initially classified as a repairable C-3 structure before being reclassified as a dangerous C-1 building, ultimately leading to their eviction with police assistance despite existing court protections.
Church activist advocate Cyril Dara also questioned the redevelopment process. According to him, the land, originally leased by the government to the Archdiocese in 1883, was converted to freehold in December 2025 after payment of a premium of Rs 13.32 crore. He further alleged that the Charity Commissioner approved redevelopment through Diljay Property Developers for Rs 30 crore, although the government’s Ready Reckoner valued the property at around Rs 59.67 crore.
Court proceedings began in 2021 after the family claimed attempts were being made to evict them. In May that year, the City Civil Court ruled that although ownership remained disputed, the family’s possession could not be disturbed except through due legal process. Subsequently, in August 2021, the Bombay High Court permitted the Steven family to continue occupying House No. 35 while allowing the developer to utilise another portion of the property.
Responding to the allegations, Archdiocese spokesperson Nigel Barrett said, “The land was sold as an encumbered property, with existing tenancies disclosed. It was then the developer’s responsibility to settle legal tenants in accordance with law. To the best of the archdiocese’s knowledge, the developer has followed due process.”
Gagan Sharma, Head of Business Development at Diljay Property Developers, said the occupants were aware of the redevelopment plans and had regularly interacted with company representatives while making “absurd monetary demands”.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
