MUMBAI: The BMC has directed actor Sonu Sood to restore the six-storey Shiv Sagar building in Juhu from a hotel to residential premises within two weeks. Sood said he will comply with the order.
The BMC’s K-West ward issued a letter to the actor asking him to revert the building status to residential and remove all unauthorised constructions and alterations. The action comes after municipal commissioner Iqbal Chahal approved a proposal from Sood’s architects to restore the change of user of the building back to residential, which the actor had allegedly converted into a hotel without necessary permission from BMC.
“The deputy chief engineer of the building proposal department, western suburbs, said the municipal commissioner has approved the proposal…the commissioner further said that the assistant municipal commissioner be told to take action against unauthorised constructions, if any. You are instructed to remove the unauthorised work...within 15 days, else this office will take further action without any further intimation,” stated the June 29 letter to Sood and his architects, Paarth Architural Consultants.
Sood told TOI, “Our restoration proposal has been approved and we are following all orders...We will continue to follow all rules in the future too. The recent letter is about some structures that do not belong to us in the same building. But if anything has to be done on our end, we will do it as advised.”
Activist Ganesh Kusmulu, who had filed a complaint with Lokayukta against Sood, said the police must register an FIR against the actor. “The BMC and police have tried to delay the matter. The illegal construction must be demolished and an FIR filed immediately. I will move the Lokayukta against those who fail to take action if Sood and his architects do not demolish the structures within 15 days as per the letter,” he said.
