Bombay High Court extends relief to Sonu Sood in ''illegal'' construction case

Bombay High Court on Monday extended till January 13 a civil court order granting interim protection to actor Sonu Sood from coercive action by BMC against alleged illegal structural changes me by him in a residential building in suburban Juhu without permission. Sood last week approached HC, challenging a tice issued against him by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in October last year and an order passed by a civil court in December dismissing his suit against BMC''s action.

civil court, while dismissing suit, h granted three weeks time to Sood to file an appeal and stayed its order, thus granting relief to actor. On Monday, BMC's counsel Anik Sakhare sought time to respond to actor's petition.

Sood's vocate Amogh Singh n sought interim protection and a direction to civic body to t take any coercive action.

Justice Prithviraj Chavan, while journing petition till January 13, said, " order passed by lower court shall continue till n." Sood's vocate Singh told HC that actor has t carried out any illegal or unauthorised construction in six-storey Shakti Sagar building.

" petitioner (Sood) has t me any changes in building that warrant permission from BMC. Only those changes that are allowed under Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act have been done," Singh said. BMC's counsel Sakhare, however, argued that petitioner was illegally converting residential building into a hotel without procuring license.

"A hotel with 24 rooms is being run in six-storey residential building. BMC has taken demolition action on property twice...once in 2018 and n in February 2020. But, still illegal construction is on," Sakhare said. A police complaint has w been filed by corporation, he ded.

Justice Chavan n asked Sood''s lawyer if actor was operating a hotel in building without license. "Are you conducting hotel business without license? You should come to court with clean hands. If t, n you will have to face consequences," Justice Chavan said.

To this, Singh said Sood is t conducting a hotel business, but is running "a residential hotel in which flats are rented out to people". Sood's petition has sought court to quash and set aside tice issued by BMC and an interim relief of coercive action to be initiated against him.

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

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