Today, On 17th June, The Supreme Court refused to stop the demolition of 17 illegal structures built in Thane green zones, praising the Bombay High Court’s firm action and stating, “Kudos to the High Court for taking a right decision.”
New Delhi: The Supreme Court declined to intervene in the order to demolish 17 structures built illegally in green zones in Thane, commending the Bombay High Court for its “courageous” stance.
Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manohan referenced the Bombay High Court’s definitive finding regarding the involvement of the underworld in these illegal constructions, which occurred in collaboration with municipal authorities.
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Justice Manmohan remarked,
“Next, your Bombay will get encroached. That’s all that remains to be done. Please feel for your city, otherwise everything will get encroached. For once, the Bombay High Court has taken a very courageous stand and we appreciate it,”
Further praising the high court, the bench stated,
“Kudos to the high court for taking a right decision. See, you encroached on some third party’s land and built a property without taking any sanctions. There is no rule of law and please see, these are persons with underworld connections.”
Upon discovering that the petitioner was a homebuyer, the bench noted that presenting a “noble soul” was a “good strategy,” but emphasized the high court’s acknowledgment of the underworld’s involvement in the “enormous construction in a posh area.”
Justice Manmohan expressed disbelief at the audacity of some individuals to approach the court, stating,
“For once, the high court has woken up and tried to establish the rule of law. How many buildings have you constructed without taking any sanctions? Please go, unless and until you take any action against these unscrupulous builders, this trend will continue; people will continue to do gorilla fighting using your shoulders; it must stop.”
The bench noted that the constructions were carried out without the necessary permissions from the planning authority and involved illegally occupying land belonging to a third party.
Justice Bhuyan highlighted that the illegal construction might not have been revealed if an innocent woman had not stepped forward, claiming her land was occupied.
The top court advised the petitioner, Danish Zaheer Siddiqui, who contested the June 12 high court order, to seek a review in the high court. Siddiqui asserted that of the 17 buildings, eight had already been demolished, leaving at least 400 families homeless.
He claimed to be a buyer of a flat in one of the affected buildings and argued that the high court had issued a “carte blanche” directive allowing the Thane Municipal Corporation to proceed with demolitions without awaiting further orders.
However, the top court responded,
“We express no opinion. After hearing the matter for some time, the senior counsel seeks liberty to withdraw the application and with liberty to approach the high court.”
The high court, On June 12, declared that any unauthorized construction must be demolished, stating,
“Those who purchase tenements in illegal construction are greedy purchasers, who are a different category of citizens as opposed to those citizens who would purchase tenements which are lawfully constructed; they cannot assert rights in regard to illegal construction.”
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The high court further remarked that such constructions could not have occurred without the “blessings” of government and municipal officers, and found it shocking that those involved in such rampant illegal construction could afford to defraud innocent flat purchasers.
Following the woman’s petition, the high court appointed a court officer to inspect the unauthorized structures in Village Shil, Thane.
Case Title: DANISH ZAHEER SIDDIQUI vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA, D No. 33024/2025