BMC inspects Narayan Rane’s Juhu bungalow, but officials stay mum

Police personnel on patrol duty outside Narayan Rane’s Adhish bungalow during the BMC inspection on Monday. Pic/Shadab Khan

BMC officials spent nearly two hours at Union minister Narayan Rane's Juhu bungalow on Monday as part of their inspection of the property over alleged illegalities. But civic officials remained tight-lipped over the findings, in sharp contrast to their eagerness to share every bit of information after the corporation's action at actor Kangana Ranaut's Pali Hill office in September 2020.

A BMC team visited Rane's Adhish bungalow around 11 am. They are believed to have taken some photographs, measurements, and examined documents of the 8-storey property, which stands under the jurisdiction of the K-west ward. Before entering the bungalow, the BMC team went to the Santacruz police station to get security personnel along with them.

As per the civic procedure, another notice would be served if the team finds any unauthorised construction on the premises, giving the owner a certain time to prove the legality. The assistant municipal commissioner of K west and deputy municipal commissioner of zone IV did not respond to calls and text messages seeking their response on the inspection. The same officials had shared details after the BMC razed a portion of Ranaut's Bandra property in September 2020 over alleged illegalities. The action had come after she compared Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

On February 15, the BMC had sent a notice to the owner of Adhish under Section 68 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. The next day, a BMC team visited the place but returned within five minutes as no one from Rane's family was present. The BMC again gave a notice to the manager of the bungalow for the inspection on Monday.

Adhish, which got the occupation certificate in 2013, as been in the news for the past few years after RTI activist Santosh Daundkar filed a complaint alleging that the bungalow was constructed in violation of the CRZ (coastal regulation zone) norms. He alleged that the bungalow was constructed within 50 metres of the sea and the BMC had not taken action despite repeated complaints.