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EXCLUSIVE: Drama over SRK's Mannat continues, Activists demand its seize
The superstar is once again accused by a local group for flouting heritage rules, his close friends call it a publicity gimmick by activists.
Shah Rukh Khan's house Mannat was in the news last year, when BMC officials demolished the ramp outside his bungalow. Reportedly, it was illegal and the officials took it down after receiving a complaint from the Watchdog Foundation.
The saga doesn't end at that. The foundation has now written an official plea for the actor's house to be seized by the Government of Maharashtra. "We are fighting this case since 2013. The illegal ramp built by SRK was affecting our duties of lady of Mount Mary because this encroachment built by him is done on a 300 year old cement road. So 18 months after filing the complaint, BMC was forced to demolish this ramp. After the demolition of the ramp, SRK had to pay its charges of Rs. 1.93 lacs," reveals Nicholas Almeida of Watchdog Foundation.
He adds, "Later, when we went into the depth of his lease conditions, it was written clearly by the Collector of Mumbai that if Shah Rukh Khan or Gauri Khan violate any condition in the CRZ, then his lease is bound to be cancelled. And he has done illegal construction and that has been proved. So this condition was violated, and hence his bungalow has to be seized by the collector. That is why we started writing to the collector. He forwarded our complaint to the tehsildar and the BMC and asked them to go into our complaints and take further action. But the matter has slept down again. We are waiting for a revert on the same from the collector's office."
According to Almeida, SRK has also flouted the heritage law. He explains, "The original name of Mannat bungalow was Villa Vienna. So according to the heritage law, you cannot change the name. The name has been changed from Villa Vienna to Mannat. And if you change the name, then as per law, you have to put both the names - the original name and the old one. He has violated this law as well."
However, sources close to the actor maintain that this is a mere publicity gimmick on part of the activists who find stars to be soft targets.
"Set-Back from a property to be taken for road widening, falls under the purview of the Town and Planning department. Sometime in the year 1980 it was recommended by them to make the pedestrian lane on the north side of Mannat, then Villa Vienna to be made motorable and hence set back was proposed. Around the year 2003 the Director (ES&P), MCGM, observed in his reference/report dated 28th July, 2003 that the widening of the said pedestrian passage was found to be unnecessary as even after 23 years of the prescribed R.L. being expanded, the same was not made motorable. Also as anyone who has walked the passage will also know that the lane has a gradient, steps leading up and also there are hutments all along. It could hence not be made motorable so the set back proposal by Town and planning was deleted and they asked BMC to follow procedure and action the same," informs our source.
The source continues, "Despite the recommended deletion, the proposed set back area was kept outside Mannat boundary awaiting procedure by BMC to complete the same. The set back area had some old cabin plinth portions and flower beds owing to which it was uneven and raised through out. For the convenience of people walking across and aesthetic reasons it was resurfaced and leveled. Also worthy to note that the lane has never been a no parking lane. The Ramp actually was the set back area that was not taken over by BMC so it belonged to Mannat property technically hence was not illegal nor any violation. BMC did not process deletion of set back despite recommendation perhaps owing to a PIL that was being processed. This PIL was won not just in the Honorable High Court but also Honorable Supreme Court too on merit."
Another source reveals, "Suddenly on behest of Watchdog Foundation the ramp was demolished and subsequently BMC passed an order of taking over the set back area after a few months. So technically the demolished ramp was property of Mannat as the take over notice came months after the demolition. Subsequent to the demolition, a bill of 1.93 lakhs was raised on 4th March 2015 and it was paid the very next day on 5th march 2015 to avoid any further controversies that could be raised. So the ramp is not a violation and neither are there any unpaid dues."
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