Unauthorised police chowkies to be demolished

Mumbai, Jan 25 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today asked the city police to start demolishing 137 unauthorisedly constructed police chowkies in the Metropolis and submit progress report within a months period.

A division bench comprising Justices Bilal Nazki and Sharad Bobade also directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to forthwith demolish all abandoned police chowkies.

On last date of hearing on a PIL filed by a city resident Inder Chhugani, the court came down heavily on police force for contravening provisions of law and said all unauthorised police chowkies will have to be demolished.

Today, when the matter came up for hearing, Advocate General Ravi Kadam informed the court that the Police Commissionerate has found 137 chowkies constructed either on pavements or alongside public roads and sought six months time to demolish these chowkies, while conceding that there was no provision in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act that protects unauthorised chowkies.

But, the court refused to grant any time and ordered the Police Commissioner to start demolishing 137 chowkies, which were found constructed on pavements or alongside public roads, asking him to submit progress report after four weeks.

The court also directed the Commissioner to forthwith demolish all abandoned chowkies as the petitioner complained that abandoned chowkies were being used for anti-social activities.

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