Gurdwara on encroached land razed after HC order
Mumbai: In what is seen as a win for residents, an illegal religious structure (gurdwara) at the Joggers Park on Lokhandwala Back Road, Andheri (West) was demolished in the wee hours of Monday by those who had unauthorisedly built the structure in 2022.
The action came following a legal battle waged by residents. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Joggers Park is used by residents regularly for jogging and walking. However, according to the BMC, taking undue advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic, some people initially started serving food packets outside the park and subsequently began operating a langar inside the park.
Thereafter, they built an unauthorised religious structure within the Joggers Park, it said.
According to an affidavit submitted earlier this year by the civic body, it found certain unauthorised constructions, and a show cause notice was issued. Subsequently, a speaking order was passed by BMC on May 29, 2024.
Thereafter, the BMC demolished the structures but had left one structure, which was converted into a religious place, untouched.
On May 2 this year, the Bombay High Court ordered the respondents to remove the structure.
The repondents included Celebrations Sports Club/Samarth Nagar Lokhandwala Complex Co-Operative Housing Societies Association Limited, Punjabi Association of Lokhandwala and Sanjha Chula Guru Ka Langar Trust.
Lokhandwala Joggers Park Association secretary, Anuj Mittal, said, "It is a victory not just for legality, but for the citizens' right to reclaim public space. The issue was never religious, but against unauthorised occupation of a public park.
The structure was demolished by the encroachers themselves late Sunday night. We residents waged a sustained legal battle right from December 2023, by filing a PIL in the Bombay High Court.
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Mittal said , "The Supreme Court too dismissed the appeal of the encroachers'"
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit and activist, said, "The outcome is an untiring effort of citizens of Oshiwara and Lokhandwala. Land grabbing in the name of God should not be allowed, besides gardens are meant for recreation and not for religious purposes. More importantly, this is an open space. "
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