HC directs BMC to take possession of sports club

Mumbai, Feb 23 (UNI) In a setback to the Thackeray family, the Bombay High Court today directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take possession of the Prabhodhankar Thackeray Sports Club and Swimming Pool at Vile Parle here and make it open to the public.

The club was earlier open only to members.

The High Court order was in response to a petition filed by a Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal which had challenged the allotment of a plot of land way back in 1987-88 to the Chatrapati Shivaji Samiti on which the club was subsequently built.

The plot had been allotted during Sena leader Ramesh Prabhu's tenure as mayor of the BMC. The petition had been admitted ten years back but no orders had been issued.

A Bombay High Court division bench of justices R M Lodha and Anoop Mohota today directed the BMC to take possession of the club holding that the allotment of the plot had been illegal and Mr Prabhu had exceeded his political powers in making such an allotment.

The High Court bench directed that the BMC should take possession of the club within a week's time and open it to the public. If the club cannot be handed over to the BMC within a week's time, then Mr Prabhu should deposit Rs one crore with the BMC and ensure that the club's possession passes over to the civic body six weeks thence, the court directed.

UNI XR MAZ VD HS2213