Gujarat high court halts demolition in controversial bungalow in Paldi, asks authority to decide regularization request | Ahmedabad News

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court has stayed the AMC from removing an allegedly illegal construction in a bungalow in Paldi’s Nutan Sarvoday Society. The property has been at the centre of a heated controversy due to the alleged violations of the Disturbed Areas Act, following its purchase by a Muslim man, Mustufamiya Shaikh, from a Hindu owner, Dilip Modi.Justice Mauna Bhatt directed the bungalow owners to maintain the status quo and granted state govt four weeks to decide on the owners’ appeal for the regularization of the construction. The bungalow was purchased on Dec 30, 2022, despite the authorities rejecting the application for property transaction approval under the Disturbed Areas Act on May 31, 2022. The controversy intensified when Shaikh began renovating the bungalow. The AMC issued a notice in Jan 2024, warning against illegal construction. A subsequent notice in Aug reiterated the alleged violations. The issue escalated to the HC, where the bungalow owners were instructed to engage in proceedings with the AMC. The owners sought regularization under GRUDA, 2022, but the AMC rejected the application on Aug 25. The AMC then issued a notice demanding the removal of the alleged illegal construction, threatening action in case of non-compliance. The owners appealed against this rejection. Last week, AMC officials arrived with a bulldozer for the demolition but stopped upon learning that a petition was filed in the HC. On Oct 8, the HC ordered status quo. During the hearing, state govt highlighted the Disturbed Areas Act violation, while the petitioners argued it was irrelevant to the current proceedings. The AMC accused the owners of using renovation as a pretext for illegal construction. The owners contended that the AMC could not order demolition while their appeal for regularization was pending. The HC has ordered status quo until the appeal for regularization is resolved. If the appeal is rejected, the AMC must provide reasonable time to the owners before proceeding with any demolition, said the petitioner’s advocate Sharvil Majmudar.