Illegal hoardings: Mumbai politicians, including BJP chief, pay fine

Several Mumbai politicians, including BJP's city unit chief and MLA Ashish Shelar, tendered unconditional apology and paid a fine of Rs 3.60 lakh for putting up illegal hoardings across the city

Political leaders including two BJP legislators and a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena worker on Friday tendered unconditional apology for putting up illegal hoardings across the city and deposited the penalty of Rs 3.60 lakh to the Bombay High Court.

Ashish Shelar.

Ashish Shelar, MLA and President of Mumbai BJP gave three cheques - two of Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 20,000 towards the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and one for Rs 25,000 towards Commissioner's fund of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Also, BJP MLA Parag Alavani forked out a cheque of Rs 40,000.

MNS party worker Sachin Gunjar submitted a cheque of Rs 25,000 towards 'Naam Foundation', which works for the welfare of drought-hit farmers in the state. Five others who belong to other political parties deposited cheques of Rs 20,000 each towards 'Naam Foundation'.

The cheques were given pursuant to an order passed by a division bench of Justices A S Oka and C V Bhadang on February 18 imposing costs on these political party workers for putting up illegal hoardings and banners in the city.

Along with the cheques, the party workers also tendered unconditional apology and an assurance that no such hoardings or banners would be put up without requisite permission from the concerned authorities. Shelar also stated in his affidavit that he has sternly warned his party workers that if in future such illegal hoardings are put up then they would be suspended from the party.

Advocate Uday Warunjikar, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that Shiv Sena has put up posters on the pillars of the Monorail in Central Mumbai. The court sought the names of the party workers and asked the party's advocate Viswajeet Sawant if the party would like to take responsibility and submit cheques as cost or the court would issue contempt notices.

Advocate Sawant told the court that the party is going to formulate a mechanism to put a stop to this. The court has posted the petition for further hearing on March 9.

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