Mumbai: After getting accolades for helping migrants during the Covid-19 lockdown, Bollywood actor Sonu Sood and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have locked horns over his premises in Juhu where a written complaint has been filed against him.
The BMC in its complaint accused Sood of 'illegally' converting his six-storied home in Shakti Sagar Building to a hotel without getting proper permissions.
"Shakti Sagar is a residential building and cannot be used commercially. It is punishable under section 7 of the Maharashtra Region and Town Planning (MRTP) Act," BMC inits complaint said.
It also accused Sood of increasing the portion of the building and changing the map of the structure.
BMC officials said that Sonu Sood had filed an application in Mumbai court against the notice issued from BMC, but he could not get interim relief from there. The court gave Sonu Sood three weeks to appeal in the High Court.
"Three weeks by the court have passed and they have neither removed the unauthorized construction nor retracted from the change in its use. In such a situation, we have filed a police complaint," a BMC member said.
On his part, Sood has claimed that he has done nothing illegal, secured all the necessary permissions, and was only awaiting a nod from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA).
Back in June 2018, Sood had submitted an application to the BMC's K-West Ward Building Proposal Department, proposing to convert his residential premises into a lodging-cum-boarding facility.
The BMC returned the proposal in September 2018 directing him to comply with all the norms and submit an amended proposal, which has reportedly not been done so far.
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The state police have confirmed the development and said an investigation is on in the matter.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the BMC move alleging it was an act of 'vendetta' on the lines of the action taken against actress Kangana Ranaut.
BJP spokesperson Ram Kadam questioned how when the same premises were turned into a quarantine facility last year by the BMC and there was nothing wrong, it now suddenly found the premises to be illegal, and asked the civic body to 'beware' of targeting a famous personality.
"Sonu Sood helped stranded people reach their homes by spending his own money, that should have ideally been done by the Maharashtra government. But now he's been investigated. It is shameful," Kadam said.
(With IANS input)
