Sonu Sood moves HC against BMC notice for illegal construction

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has approached the Bombay High Court, challenging a notice issued against him by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for allegedly carrying out structural changes to a residential building in suburban Juhu without permission.

Sood, in his petition filed last week through advocate D P Singh, said he has not carried out any “illegal or unauthorised” construction in the six-storey Shakti Sagar building.

A single bench of Justice Prithviraj Chavan will hear the petition on Monday.

“The petitioner (Sood) has not made any changes in the building that warrant permission from the BMC. Only those changes that are allowed under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act have been done,” Singh said.

The petition has sought that the court quash and set aside the notice issued by the BMC in October last year, and an interim relief of no coercive action to be initiated against the actor.

Last year, after receiving the notice from the BMC, the actor approached a civil court, but failed to get relief following which he filed an appeal in the high court.

The BMC last Monday filed a complaint at the Juhu police station, seeking an FIR to be lodged against Sood for allegedly converting the residential building into a hotel without permission.

The complaint letter was sent to the police after the BMC inspected the building and found that Sood had allegedly not complied with the requisitions and was continuing unauthorised construction even after the notice was served to him in October last year.

The police are yet to register FIR in the case.

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