Mumbai: BMC on Oct 12 demolished portions of ongoing work at a bungalow in Juhu after it rejected a reply from the owners, who failed to produce documents establishing that the work had been approved by the civic body. Film actor Ajay Devgn and his mother, Veena Devgn, own the property.The bungalow is located in Kapol Cooperative Housing Society in Juhu.In a speaking order dated Oct 6, the BMC’s K/West ward office said the owner’s reply, submitted on September 15, did not include any documents proving authorisation for the construction or a copy of the permission granted by the competent authority.“The civic body had issued a stop-work notice under Section 354A of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act on September 10, with regard to unauthorised additions and alterations using Siporex blocks at CTS No. 841, Plot No. 10, Kapol CHS Ltd, on N S Road No. 11, JVPD, Vile Parle (West),” said a civic official in a statement.The notice directed the owner or occupier to stop the work immediately and submit the relevant permissions within 24 hours. It warned that the unauthorised structure and construction materials could be removed at the owner’s risk and cost if the directions were not complied with. Police were also directed to keep watch at the site and remove persons carrying out the work, if required.In its speaking order, the BMC said that since the construction was ongoing, the owner was required to possess permission from the competent authority. As no such documents had been furnished, the reply could not be accepted and the work was treated as unauthorised.A statement from the actor Ajay Devgn’s Office said, “We would like to clarify that the property in question is not Ajay Devgn’s residence, but a separate property that has been rented out. We have applied to the BMC for the requisite permissions in respect of one of our properties and are duly complying with all applicable BMC rules, regulations and guidelines. The necessary changes, alterations and modifications, as required by the BMC, have been carried out.”Sources said that property where demolition action was carried out by the BMC was to be rented out by the actor to a salon to which the society residents had also raised objections fearing it could open a private society premises to the public at large who would come visiting the salon.
