Bringing an end to a prolonged legal battle spanning over two decades, the Supreme Court has dismissed Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) special leave petition in a dispute over the ‘High Trees’ bungalow, a prime property located on Pali Hill Road in Bandra. The ruling effectively upholds the eviction order earlier confirmed by the Bombay High Court, requiring the company to hand over vacant possession of the heritage residence.
The bungalow, one of the few remaining legacy properties in the upscale Pali Hill neighbourhood, has been occupied for over 20 years by L&T’s former chairman and current chairman emeritus. The company had claimed ownership of nearly 30% of the property.
The origins of the dispute date back to a tenancy agreement established in 1961, with the formal lease expiring in 1970. In 2001, members of the KC Kothari family, along with other co-owners, initiated eviction proceedings in the Bandra small causes court after terminating the tenancy.
During the course of the litigation, L&T acquired a 7% undivided share in the property from one of the co-owners, Amar Munot, eventually increasing its stake to 29.5%. Relying on a 2017 Supreme Court ruling, the company argued that its status as a co-owner invalidated the eviction proceedings. It also cited an ongoing partition suit among the co-owners.
However, in its March 27, 2026 judgment, the Bombay High Court rejected this argument, observing that the transfer of shares to L&T during the pendency of the case was “tainted with collateral purpose” and did not affect the validity of the eviction suit. The court upheld the 2010 eviction order passed by the appellate bench of the Small Causes Court.
Dismissing L&T’s final appeal, the Supreme Court bench of Justices Prashant Mishra and N V Anjaria stated, “We are not inclined to entertain these Special Leave Petitions. Accordingly, the Special Leave Petitions stand dismissed.”
With this, the long-standing legal dispute over the high-value Bandra property has reached its conclusion.
Source: The Times of India
