Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi''s illegal bungalows to be demolished

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, August 21

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday began the process for the demolition of 162 illegal bungalows belonging to top Bollywood personalities, industrialists and absconding diamond merchants Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

These bungalows are located in Alibaug across the sea from Mumbai's Gateway of India and Murud on the Western Coast. These structures are located in CRZ zone where construction is banned.

Maharashtra's Minister for Environment Ramdas Kadam told reporters that the demolition would begin as soon as the National Green Tribunal gives the go-ahead. Apart from having the structures demolished, owners found guilty of violating the law face a jail term of up to five years, Kadam said.

The Maharashtra government came for strong criticism from the Bombay High Court last week after it emerged that the collector of Raigad district had exempted Nirav Modi's bungalow from demolition. The ordered also ordered a probe into the matter.

According to a public interest litigation, bungalows have been constructed in violation of the CRZ regulations in villages Varsoli, Sasvane, Kolgaon, Dokvade, etc in Alibaug taluka.

Owners of many of the bungalows, including Nirav Modi, have in the past challenged the demolition orders on the grounds that these structures existed prior to 1986, when the CRZ regulations came into effect.