Illegal construction: Actor Sonu Sood moves SC against Bombay HC order

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 22

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood moved the Supreme Court on Friday challenging a Bombay High Court order dismissing his petition against a BMC notice over alleged illegal construction at his residential building in Juhu area of Mumbai, his counsel Vineet Dhanda said.

The BMC alleged that the actor had carried out structural changes in the six-storey residential building “Shakti Sagar”, and converted it into a hotel without taking requisite permissions.

However, the actor – who hit national headlines during the COVID19 lockdown for extended financial help to migrants and arranging buses for their return to their natives villages and towns – denied any wrongdoing and contended he had not carried out any illegal construction at ‘Shakti Sagar.’

The BMC had issued the notice to Sood in October last under section 53 of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act, with regard to alterations made to a six-storey residential building, in Juhu, accusing him of being a “habitual offender,” who repeatedly tried to convert a residential building into a hotel.    

The BMC earlier this month also filed a complaint at the Juhu police station, seeking registration of an FIR against Sood for allegedly converting the residential building into a hotel without permission.

The complaint was sent to the police after the BMC inspected the building and found that Sood had allegedly not complied with the requisitions and was continuing unauthorised construction even after the notice was served to him in October last year. The police are yet to register an FIR in the case. 

The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed Sood’s plea seeking a stay on the BMC notice for the alleged unauthorised construction. Earlier, the Mumbai court had also dismissed his petition.

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