HC rejects Sood's plea against BMC notice

Mumbai: On January 21, the Bombay High Court dismissed an appeal and an interim application filed by Bollywood actor Sonu Sood against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) notice over alleged illegal construction carried out by him at his residential building in the Juhu area of Mumbai.

Justice Prithviraj Chavan said, "Law helps only those who are diligent."

The 'Simmba' star's lawyer Amogh Singh had sought a time of 10 weeks to comply with the notice issued by the BMC in October 2020 and requested the HC to direct the civic body to not initiate demolition action.

However, the high court refused and said that the actor had ample opportunity in the past and if required, he could approach the civic body.

"The ball is now in the office of the BMC and Sonu Sood may approach them. But he is too late. He had ample opportunity," the judge said.

Sood had approached the high court earlier this month by challenging an order of a city civil court at Dindoshi that had dismissed his suit against the BMC's notice issued over the alleged illegal construction carried out by him.

The actor in the interim application had sought an order from the high court restraining the BMC from taking any coercive action against his residential property in Juhu area.

As per the BMC, Sood had carried out structural changes in the six-storey residential building 'Shakti Sagar', and converted it into a hotel without taking requisite permissions.