‘Systematic design’ to favour developer: Bombay HC orders to stop construction of Worli transit camp on sewage plant land

The HC clarified that the pendency of the plea by the developer would not hinder or put an embargo on police authorities from undertaking an expeditious probe into SRA lapses and the First Information Report (FIR) in the present matter and take action against those involved.

A Bench of Justices Girish S Kulkarni and Aarti A Sathe on February 9 passed an order on a plea by Worli Urban Development Project LLP (formerly known as  Lokhandwala DB Realty LLP) against the December 26, 2025, stop work notice issued by the SRA under the Maharashtra Town Planning (MRTP) Act.

The petitioner had undertaken a project on the Worli land to rehabilitate slumdwellers of Jeejamata Cooperative Housing Society (CHS), Shree Vivekananda Nagar CHS, Veer Jeejamata Nagar CHS, and Mata Ramabai Nagar CHS.

‘Very disturbing facts have come to light’

The bench observed  “some very disturbing facts have come to light” in the present matter, which transpired before the issuance of the impugned stop-work notice.

It also expressed “very serious doubt” as to whether SRA Deputy Chief Engineer Rama Mitkar and Executive Engineer DB Patil have “at all acted and discharged their duties as public servants would be expected to discharge.”

The court also “prima facie” observed there appeared to be a “systematic design” to favour the developer.

The HC noted that BMC’s Chief Engineer (Development Plan) had written a letter on December 26, 2024, objecting to SRA’s transit camp. It cited the demolition of the compound wall between the SRA project and land reserved for STP and said piling work was being carried out by the developer on a vacant plot near the wall. The BMC apprehended encroachment on the STP land without intervention.

The HC noted that despite BMC objections, the SRA approved seven transit buildings on April 11, 2025, and the same followed a March 2025 stop-work notice to the developer. “This was without a whisper of reference” to BMC’s claims, and the same was “eye wash and only worth the paper,” the court added.

On June 27, 2025, BMC wrote to SRA’s deputy chief engineer seeking plot demarcation and early handover of the vacant part of land reserved for the STP project.

The developer approached HC after SRA’s December 26, 2025, stop-work notice for “illegally undertaking construction of rehabilitation building.”

“Things are certainly getting murkier in the present proceedings,” the bench said, noting SRA’s non-response to BMC letters.

“This more particularly, when it is a matter of common knowledge that these transit camps continue to exist for years together, as they would always remain occupied phase-wise by induction of the slum dwellers even after the initial inductees vacate the same and till such large slum project is complete, prima facie, the modus operandi of the officials in

league with the petitioners appears to be clear to deprive the BMC of the public reservation of the said land for the expansion of the STP plant,” the HC observed.

The court permitted the petitioner to carry out expeditious demolition of the partly constructed transit camp and sought clearance of one of the buildings in an expeditious manner.

It also directed the state and BMC to file affidavits on whether the housing department legally reduced the larger area of 27,964.04 square metres initially demarcated for the expansion of the STP plant to 17, 756,40 square metres.

The High Court will hear the plea next on February 23.