Supreme Court Fines BMC ₹5 Lakh Over Encroachment Delay

The Supreme Court rejected the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s request for more time to remove encroachments from land reserved for a BEST bus facility, imposed ₹5 lakh in costs and issued a show-cause notice to the civic commissioner over alleged noncompliance with earlier directions. The Court also ordered the commissioner’s salary and those of personal staff to be withheld, though reports describe different endpoints for the restraint. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana said the BMC had not carried out time-bound directions issued on November 13, 2025, and July 28, 2026. The notice asks the commissioner to explain why contempt action should not be taken. The Court refused the BMC’s request for a further 30 days, despite counsel R. P. Bhat’s offer that the civic body would complete the process within that period. The salary order was reported as lasting until the Court’s directions are followed. Justice Bagchi was also reported as telling BMC counsel that the commissioner would not draw salary until December 1, 2026, and could do so after complying. Another account described the restraint as continuing until...