The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has removed 27 commercial structures from a plot reserved for a BEST bus station in Borivali East, Mumbai.
The demolition drive was completed on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court ordered a freeze on the November salary of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide over non-compliance with its directions.
The civic body said it had cleared the encroachment from a 3,400-square-metre plot on Swami Vivekanand Road. The land is reserved for a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus station under Town Planning Scheme-II.
BMC deploys workers and police for demolition
The BMC’s R-Central ward carried out the operation with the assistance of 70 workers and employees. Police personnel were also deployed to maintain security during the drive.
The action followed the Supreme Court’s intervention over the civic body’s failure to remove encroachments from the reserved plot.
On Tuesday, a three-judge bench issued a contempt notice to Bhide. It also ordered a freeze on her November salary and that of other civic officials concerned.
The court rejected the BMC’s request for an additional 30 days to comply with its earlier directions. It also imposed costs of Rs 5 lakh.
Borivali land dispute dates back several years
The 3,400-square-metre plot has been at the centre of a prolonged legal dispute between the BMC and a private developer.
In August 2025, the Supreme Court directed the developer to hand over the land to the civic corporation, free of encroachments. The order also covered an administrative building.
The latest demolition drive clears the structures from the plot reserved for the public transport facility, following the court’s directions.
