Bombay HC admonishes BMC for failure to respond to Kangana's plea, actor extends gratitude

Kangana Ranaut took to Twitter to respond to reports of Bombay High Court's castigation of Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in its hearing on Thursday. The court presided by a bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and R I Chagla, admonished BMC H-Ward officer Bhagyawant Lote for his failure to file a response to the actors' plea by commenting that he should be as quick in his actions as he had been while signing off on property demolition papers. The High Court stated that the demolished office cannot be left as it is due to monsoon and that a prompt decision needs to be taken.

The High Court was due to conduct the final hearing of the case, registered by Kangana after her office demolition by BMC, on Tuesday. The matter was then adjourned to Wednesday as the court on Kangana's lawyer's behest made Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and Bhagyawant Lote respondent parties in the case and also asked them to file their responses to allegations made by Kangana. However, the hearing took place on Wednesday and both Raut's and Lote's representatives sought more time to file their responses to the court. 

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On Twitter, Kangana addressed the Bombay High Court judges and thanked them wholeheartedly for being considerate about her broken house which she claims is now "falling apart" in the "lashing rains of Mumbai". She wrote that the High court's response to the people responsible for breaking her office on September 9 "brought tears to her eyes" as it also "healed her heart".

Even though the High Court granted more time to both parties, Sanjay Raut could not file his response as he is in Delhi for the Parliament's Monsoon Session and Bhagyawant Lote, who had signed the demolition notice served to Ranaut on September 7, also failed to submit his response to the court. The hearing has been adjourned to Friday, September 25.

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Read | Kangana Ranaut office demolition case hearing adjourned, Sanjay Raut to be made party

Ranaut filed a plea in the High Court on September 9, seeking that the court declares the demolition of a part of her bungalow in Pali Hill area here by the BMC as 'illegal'. She subsequently amended her plea to demand Rs 2 crore as damages from the civic body and its officials for the demolition.

In a rejoinder affidavit filed in response to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) reply to her plea, Ranaut stated she didn't make any structural changes or repairs illegally. She also denied that her plea seeking that the demolition be declared illegal and that she be paid Rs 2 crore in damage by the BMC, was an abuse of the process of law. "I deny that I have carried out unlawful additions and alterations as alleged or at all," the affidavit said.

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