ബോറിവലിയിലെ കൈയേറ്റം ഒഴിപ്പിക്കാത്തതിന് ബിഎംസി കമ്മീഷണറുടെ ശമ്പളം മരവിപ്പിച്ച് സുപ്രീം കോടതി

The Supreme Court has ordered an immediate freeze on the November salary of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ashwini Bhide for failing to remove encroachments from government land in Borivali, Mumbai, reserved for a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus station.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant initiated contempt proceedings against Bhide, observing that she had wilfully breached and disobeyed the court’s time-bound directions issued on November 13, 2025, and July 28, 2026. The court also restrained the Maharashtra government and the BMC from releasing the salaries of the commissioner and her personal staff until its orders are implemented and the contempt notice is decided.

The Bench rejected the civic body's request for another 30 days to complete the eviction process and imposed costs of ₹5 lakh on the BMC.

The case concerns a plot reserved for a public BEST bus station, which has been the subject of prolonged litigation between the civic body and a private developer.

In August 2025, the Supreme Court directed the developer to hand over vacant and peaceful possession of the land, including an administrative building, to the BMC. The civic body was given three months to take possession, remove the remaining encroachments in accordance with the law and make the bus station fully operational.

However, the land remained uncleared. The court subsequently directed the commissioner to file a personal affidavit detailing the occupants, eviction notices issued and any pending tenancy or ownership claims.

In its July 2026 order, the court gave the BMC another three months to clear the encroachments. It clarified that pending civil court proceedings challenging eviction notices under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, would not prevent the removal of encroachments, as no interim stay had been granted.

During Tuesday's hearing, the Bench questioned the delay and suggested that municipal officials could be colluding with encroachers. It also rejected the BMC's argument that Marathi documents needed translation into English before the eviction exercise could proceed.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi said Bhide would not receive her salary until December 1, 2026, unless she complied with the court's directions. The Chief Justice also warned that officials could face imprisonment if the orders were not followed.

The salary freeze will remain in place until compliance and a decision on the contempt notice.