BMC apologises to Supreme Court over delay in clearing Borivali BEST depot plot

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has apologised to the Supreme Court over the delay in removing encroachments from a plot reserved for a BEST bus depot in Borivali. The court had earlier directed that the salary of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide be withheld. The case took a significant turn today.

The Supreme Court had issued a show-cause notice to Commissioner Bhide in a contempt of court case. It reprimanded her for not complying with two orders of the court. The commissioner had applied for more time, but the court rejected the plea. A fine of Rs 5 lakh was also imposed on the BMC.

The Supreme Court had also ordered that the salaries of the commissioner and the officials concerned be withheld until the contempt case is decided. The BMC had argued that translating Marathi documents into English took time. The court did not accept this argument.

A senior counsel for the BMC has now told the bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant that all unauthorised constructions have been removed as per the court's order. The counsel also personally apologised to the court for the explanation he had earlier given while presenting the administration's side. He said the administration has realised its mistake. The BMC's counsel also said a compliance affidavit would be filed in court by tomorrow.

The BMC and a private developer have been engaged in a legal battle for several years over the site of the BEST bus depot in Borivali. A plot had been reserved for building a public BEST bus depot in Borivali, but a court battle began between the civic body and the developer over possession and use of the site.

In August 2025, the Supreme Court gave important directions in the case. The court made it clear that the private developer concerned should hand over vacant and peaceful possession of the plot to the BMC. Directions were also given to hand over possession of the administrative building on the site to the BMC.