HC allows Kangana to make Raut, BMC official parties to her plea

Mumbai, Sep 22  The Bombay High Court on Tuesday allowed Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut to include Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and a civic body officer as parties to her plea against the demolition carried out at her office in Bandra on September 9.

Besides Raut, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation’s H-West Ward’s designated officer Bhagyavant Late was allowed to be made parties by a division bench of Justices SJ Kathawala and RI Chagla.

The matter was posted for next hearing on September 25 after BMC senior counsel Aspi Chinoy sought time as Kangana had made some fresh statements in her affidavit.

In her plea, Kangana has sought HC directions to declare the demolition carried out by the BMC as illegal and demanded Rs two crore as damages from the civic body.

When her lawyer Birendra Saraf submitted a video containing Raut’s speech with alleged threatening comments against the actress, Justice Kathawala said that if Kangana wanted to rely on the clip, then Raut must also get a chance to respond.

“What if he (Raut) says that he did not make these statements or that the video is fabricated? You must give him an opportunity to reply,” the court ruled.

On Saraf’s plea, Late was also included as a party since the officer had handled all the communications pertaining to the illegal construction notice and the subsequent demolition.

The BMC had bulldozed a significant portion of Kangana’s bungalow on the ground that she had made illegal alterations and structural changes in violation of the civic body’s sanctioned plans.

Rushing to the High Court, Kangana’s lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui secured a stay within hours even as the demolition was underway on September 9. She later denied all claims made by the BMC.