Sonu Sood 'habitual offender' says BMC, Bombay HC reserves order

Mumbai civic body stated that actor Sonu Sood is a habitual offender who carried out illegal construction despite two warnings from the BMC. The Bombay High Court had extended civil court order permitting interim protection to the actor till January 13.

Mumbai:The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) which had issued a demolition notice to Bollywood actor Sonu Sood for his hotel in Khar has called him a 'habitual offender' who keeps carrying out unauthorised construction work in residential building to convert it into a hotel without permission. Meanwhile, Bombay HC reserved the order on his unauthorised construction at his residential building.

BMC's affidavit filed before the Bombay high court says that Sood wants to "enjoy the commercial proceeds of their unauthorized work and therefore once again started reconstructing the demolished portion in order to make it operational as the hotel albeit illegally and without permission from the License Department."

Sood met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the latter's residence in Mumbai today. Sources said that he discussed BMC's demolition notice with Pawar. But Pawar's reply has not come out. It remained a secret meeting.

The Bombay HC reserved its order in the case after the BMC today urged the court to dismiss actor Sonu Sood's petition seeking to restrain the civic body from carrying out demolition at his property here.

Last week, Sood had approached the HC, challenging the order passed by a civil court in December dismissing the suit against the BMC's action as well as the notice issued by BMC in October 2020. Three weeks were granted to him to file an appeal and stay its order by the civil court.

The BMC had lodged a complaint with the Juhu police on January 4 in the matter. It was stated in the complaint that the actor has converted Shakti Sagar Building, which is a residential building, into a hotel without permission.

The complaint letter was sent to the police after the BMC inspected the building and found that Sood had allegedly not complied with the requisitions and was continuing unauthorised construction even after the notice was served to him in October last year.

The petition filed by the actor through advocate D P Singh argued that no illegal or unauthorized construction has been done."The petitioner (Sood) has not made any changes in the building that warrant permission from the BMC. Only those changes that are allowed under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act have been done," Singh said.

The petition has sought that the court quashes and set aside the notice issued by the BMC in October last year, and an interim relief of no coercive action to be initiated against the actor.

Last year, after receiving the notice from the BMC, the actor approached a civil court, but failed to get relief following which he filed an appeal in the High Court. The police are yet to register FIR in the case.

Sood, who is known for his roles in films like "Dabangg", "Jodha Akbar" and "Simmba", came into the spotlight last year for his philanthropy work in helping migrants reach their homes during the COVID-19 lockdown.