Mumbai: BMC slaps notice on Kangana Ranaut for 'illegal' construction

Kangana Ranaut's office in Bandra west. Pic/Shadab Khan

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday slapped a notice on Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut for carrying out allegedly illegal extensions to her office premises in suburban Bandra, officials said here.

"A notice has been issued to Kangana Ranaut and she has been directed to file her reply within 24 hours, after which appropriate action will be initiated in the matter," sand H-West Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vinayak Vispute.

He added that the BMC had already issued her a notice for a different structure two years ago, and the latest notice was the first one served for the office.

The development came a day after a BMC team paid a surprise visit to her office and surveyed the premises at Bungalow No 5, Chetan Row House, Nargis Dutt Road, Bandra west.

Earlier in the morning the BMC team served the notice to Ranaut's staffers who refused to accept it after which it was pasted outside her office.

Among other things, the actress has been ordered to stop the ongoing works inside her office premises of Manikarnika Films and provide the necessary permissions for the construction, some of which was allegedly found to be unauthorised, within 24 hours.

These include merging of two bungalows, converting a ground-floor toilet into an office cabin, converting a storeroom into a kitchen, making an unauthorised pantry in the ground floor, adding toilets near the storeroom and a parking area, illegal partitions in first floor living room, an illegal meeting room in the pooja room, converting a balcony into a habitable area besides a floor extension, among others.

The bungalow, which Ranaut had bought three years ago, is listed as a residential property by the BMC.

When questioned, BMC Mayor Kishori Pednekar said that the action follows a complaint received by the civic body and had nothing to do with the ongoing controversies over the actress' remarks against Mumbai Police, people of Mumbai or the state government.

"Following a complaint in the matter, we are initiating action as per the BMC laws. This is not vendetta or witch-hunt in any manner," Pednekar told mediapersons.

Responding to the notice, Ranaut - who plans to return to Mumbai on Wednesday - tweeted: "Because of the criticism from my friends on social media, they didn't come with a bulldozer today instead stuck a notice to stop leakage work that is going on in the office, friends I may have risked a lot but I find immense love and support from you all."

In the previous matter of 2018, the BMC has filed its reply in Dindoshi Sessions Court to vacate a stay order on its demolition notice to Ranaut under the MRTP Act for carrying out illegal constructions in her Khar home.

Ranaut challenged the notice and secured an injunction on it, but now the BMC has indicated that after the stay is vacated, they will demolish the illegal constructions.

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