BMC clears 27 shops from Borivali bus depot plot; Supreme Court recalls salary freeze on Bhide

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday removed 27 commercial structures from a plot reserved for a bus station in Borivali East. The action came a day after the Supreme Court directed that the salary of the civic body's chief be frozen for non-compliance with its orders.

The BMC said the Supreme Court on Wednesday also withdrew its direction to withhold the November salary of Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and her personal staff. The show-cause notice issued against them was also withdrawn. According to the corporation, this followed its telling the court that steps had been taken to comply with the earlier orders.

In a statement, the corporation said the land is on Swami Vivekananda Road in Borivali East, a western suburb of Mumbai. The plot measures 3,400 square metres and is reserved under Town Planning Scheme-II for a bus station of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking.

The BMC's R-Central ward carried out the drive, with 70 workers and staff deployed. A police contingent was also called to the spot to maintain security.

On Tuesday, a Supreme Court bench had issued a contempt notice to Commissioner Bhide because the encroachment on the land had not been removed. The court had also ordered a freeze on the November salary of Bhide and other concerned corporation officials. The three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant had also rejected the corporation's plea for 30 more days to comply with the orders, and imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh.

The Borivali plot has long been the subject of a legal dispute between the BMC and a private developer. In August 2025, the Supreme Court directed the developer to hand the plot over to the corporation free of encroachment, along with the administrative building.

According to the BMC, on Wednesday the bench recalled paragraphs 1 to 3 of its order of November 3. Senior Advocate R P Bhat, appearing for the corporation, told the court that the orders of November 13, 2025 and July 28, 2026 on removal of encroachment had been complied with.

The BMC also said the bench made clear that it was expressing no opinion on the extent of compliance. The court directed Bhide to file a personal affidavit before the next hearing, stating the steps taken to implement the orders.