Kangana Ranaut committed `grave violation` while merging three Mumbai flats, says court

Mumbai: Actor Kangana Ranaut violated the sanctioned plan while merging her three flats, a civil court here has remarked while rejecting her plea seeking to restrain the Mumbai civic body from demolishing the unauthorized construction.

A court in suburban Dindoshi dismissed an application filed by Ranaut last week. The detailed order became available on Thursday (December 31).

Judge L S Chavan noted in the order that Ranaut, who owns three flats on the fifth floor of a 16-storey building in Khar area of the city, merged them into one.

In doing so, she covered the sunk area, duct area, common passage and converted free Floor Space Index (FSI) into habitable area, the judge observed.

"These are grave violation of the sanctioned plan for which the permission of the competent authority is required," the court said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had in March 2018 issued a notice to the actor for "unauthorized constructions" at her Khar flats. Another notice asked her to restore the structure to its original position as per the original plan, warning that otherwise the unauthorized portion will be demolished.

Ranaut challenged the demolition notice and also requested the court to restrain the civic body from carrying out demolition. The court had then ordered status-quo.

In the latest order on December 23 judge Chavan rejected the actor's application, sayingthe "interference of this court is not required". However, the court has given her six weeks to approach the Bombay High Court against the order.

On September 9, the BMC had demolished parts of Ranaut's bungalow in the Pali Hill area for alleged "unauthorized" construction. She moved the HC against it.

The high court later termed the BMC's action as illegal and malicious.