Pune: Court Issues Show Cause Notice to PCMC Over Demolition Notices to Religious Structures in Chikhali-Kudalwadi
Pimpri-Chinchwd, 17th July 2025: In a significant development, the Akurdi Court has issued a show cause notice to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Commissioner and the Executive Engineer of the Building Permission and Unauthorised Construction Control Department over demolition notices issued to temples and mosques in the Chikhali-Kudalwadi area.
The court, under the bench of PCMC Court (Akurdi) JMFC V. S. Damare, directed the civic officials to clarify their stand on the notices that labelled several religious structures as “encroachments.” This move came after advocates Asim Sarode, Shriya Awale, Rohit Tilekar, and Arihant Dhotre filed objections on behalf of 16 mosques, challenging the legality and content of the notices.
According to the petitioners, the PCMC failed to specify whether the constructions were irregular, unauthorized, or illegal, nor did they identify the exact nature or location of the alleged encroachments. The advocates argued that such one-sided notices, issued under Section 35 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, are illegal and violate procedural fairness.
Adv. Asim Sarode pointed out that PCMC did not follow due legal process or abide by the Supreme Court’s guidelines on removal of encroachments. Furthermore, affected citizens were not given an opportunity to present their case before action was initiated.
Taking these objections into consideration, JMFC Damare issued the show cause notice to PCMC on 16th July, asking for a detailed response by 31st July.
