Mumbai: 1:45 pm: Mumbai Police is trying to break the lock of the main entrance gate of the Campa Cola society. The police have also taken some political parties activists from Shiv Sena and the BJP, who were protesting outside the society into preventive custody.
1:25 pm: Minister of State (IT) Milind Deora has said that he will take take a legal opinion from Attorney General on Campa Cola case. "We will take a legal opinion from the Attorney General of India. Nothing is ruled out. Last night a delagation met the Chief Minister and he didnt rule anything out. I am supporting these residents from the day one. I am a local representative from this area and they have elected me into power. I am not criticising the Supeme Court order. I have already told the residents they should abide by the order. This is not a part of our strategy," said Deora.
12:30 pm: Bulldozers have been called in at the Campa Cola housing society to demolish unauthorised flats at the compound by the BMC.
Campa Cola society residents stopped the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials from entering into the compound to demolish the unauthorised flats on Tuesday. The residents locked the main entrance gate of the compound and denied entrance to the BMC officials.
After much persuasion a meeting is now taking place inside the compound between the residents, BMC officials and the police.
The Campa Cola housing colony residents in Mumbai have refused to move out of the compound even as the deadline given by the Supreme Court to vacate the flats is over. Only 10 out of 96 unauthorised flats in the Campa Cola society have been vacated till now.
On October 1, the Supreme Court had ordered the residents of over 90 illegal flats to vacate their houses by November 11. The BMC had issued eviction notices to residents of the illegal floors under Section 488 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act last week warning them not to obstruct the civic staff when they initiate demolition.
The residents of the Campa Cola compound have had a long legal fight since 2005 when they first went to court for water connection and regularization and the court ordered the then municipal commissioner to take time-bound action on the case.
The municipal commissioner instead of taking an action against the builders served demolition notices to about 100 flats above the fifth floor. The builders of the society which were PSB construction, Yusuf Patel and BK Gupta were granted permission to construct the residential towers not more than five floors. They, however, went ahead and flouted the norms by constructing about 35 illegal floors across the Campa Cola compound.
The demolition notices served were challenged in the civil court were granted a stay. The residents, however, lost the case in the High Court in 2011 and subsequently in the Supreme Court in February 2013 when it refused to regularise the structure. The BMC then issued demolition notice on the April 27 asking the occupants of the illegal flats to vacate within 48 hrs. However, the Supreme Court intervention ensured that the residents got a five month window to vacate their houses.
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