NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has ordered builder N Kumar to pay ₹41.37 lakh within two weeks for the demolition of illegal structures at Poonam Chambers and Poonam Tower.
A division bench, led by Justices Anil Pansare and Nivedita Mehta, issued this directive following detailed cost estimates presented by the civic authority. The estimated costs include ₹31.4 lakh for demolishing unauthorized constructions at Poonam Chambers in the cantonment and ₹9.97 lakh for Poonam Tower, located near Vidhan Bhavan.
In response to petitions filed by Kumar and his firm contesting demolition notices issued by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), the court had instructed the civic body to proceed with the demolition and provide thorough cost estimates, copies of which were shared with the petitioner. Following these directions, substantial demolition work has already begun.
The civic body updated the court, reporting that nearly 80% of the demolition in the parking area of Poonam Chambers has been completed, with ongoing work expected to conclude by April 10. The next hearing is scheduled for April 16.
During an earlier session, the judges noted that the petitioner had provided a written commitment to remove the illegal structures but failed to comply. The bench stated that the issue of non-compliance would be reviewed later and reiterated its instructions to the civic body to finalize the demolition.
This case originates from a public interest litigation (PIL) initiated by Vijay Babhare, which claims that the multi-storey building has been constructed irregularly and poses a potential safety threat to nearby structures, including the Vidhan Bhavan and the Reserve Bank of India. The petition, dating back to 2016, labels the construction as illegal and seeks its demolition.
