The Supreme Court on Tuesday froze the salaries of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and other civic officials over their failure to remove encroachments from government land reserved for a BEST bus station in Borivali East, Mumbai.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued a show-cause notice to Bhide, asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against her for failing to implement its orders.
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The court rejected the BMC's request for another 30 days to complete the eviction and imposed costs of Rs 5 lakh. It directed that salaries remain suspended until the show-cause notice was decided and its directions complied with.
"You will not be drawing a salary till the 1st of December 2026. So comply before that. You come here and then you can draw your salary," Justice Bagchi said.
The bench questioned whether municipal officials were colluding with encroachers to delay compliance. Chief Justice Kant described the failure to clear the land as a deliberate breach of the court's directions, alleging connivance with those occupying the property.
The judges also questioned the BMC's explanation that Marathi documents needed to be translated into English before officials could proceed with the eviction. Referring to an affidavit filed by Dr Tambe, Justice Bagchi asked whether civic officials could not understand Marathi.
On Wednesday, a day after the court's rebuke, the BMC said it had removed 27 commercial structures from the 3,400-square-metre plot on Swami Vivekanand Road in Borivali East.
What Is BEST Land Dispute
The Borivali plot has been the subject of a prolonged legal dispute between the BMC and a private developer. The BMC carried out on the 3,400-square-metre plot reserved for a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus station under Town Planning Scheme-II. The BMC's R-Central ward carried out the operation with the help of 70 workers and employees, while police personnel were also mobilised to maintain security.
In August 2025, the SC directed the developer to hand over the plot, free of encroachments, along with an administrative building, to the civic corporation.
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