- Supreme Court froze BMC chief’s salary for non-compliance.
- Court fined BMC, cited contempt for delayed removal.
- Chief Justice questioned officials, suspecting collusion with encroachers.
- SC warned officials of jail for non-compliance.
The Supreme Court has ordered that the salary of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner and his personal staff be withheld until the civic body complies with its directions to remove an encroachment from land reserved for a BEST bus depot in Mumbai’s Borivali.
The court also rejected the BMC’s request for more time to implement its earlier orders, imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the civic body and issued a contempt notice to the commissioner over the delay.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the commissioner had deliberately disregarded the court’s directions issued on November 13, 2025, and July 28, 2026. The Maharashtra government and the BMC have been directed to ensure that the salaries are not released until compliance.
Encroachment On Land Reserved For BEST Bus Depot
The case concerns an encroachment on a 5,800-square-metre plot in Borivali, of which 3,400 square metres are reserved for a BEST bus depot and an administrative building.
On August 13, 2025, the Supreme Court had directed the BMC to take possession of the land from Parag Constructions, remove the encroachment and complete construction of the bus depot.
When the matter came up again on July 28, 2026, the court gave the civic body three months to clear the encroachment. The latest contempt notice follows the alleged failure to meet that deadline.
BMC Cites Notices And Pending Document Verification
Appearing for the BMC, senior advocate R P Bhat told the bench that show-cause notices had been issued to the encroachers and they had been given two opportunities to present their cases.
He said the civic body was yet to pass final orders after examining the documents submitted by them. Bhat also referred to a civil court direction that the occupants should not be evicted without being given an opportunity to be heard.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who was part of the bench, questioned the delay in completing the process. The court also expressed surprise at an explanation in the BMC’s affidavit that the concerned official did not know Marathi, making it necessary to translate Marathi documents into English.
CJI Raises Possibility Of Collusion With Encroachers
Chief Justice Surya Kant questioned whether civic officials were colluding with the encroachers and collecting hafta or monthly payments from them.
He suggested that officials appeared to be shielding the occupants and deliberately delaying compliance with the court’s orders.
The Chief Justice warned that officials could be sent to jail if they failed to follow the Supreme Court’s directions. Even after the BMC’s lawyer offered to complete the process within 30 days, the bench refused to grant any further time.
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