Demolition Without Notice? PMC Under Fire in Pune’s Viman Nagar Case
Viman Nagar, 23rd April 2026: Allegations of an unauthorised demolition drive by a Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) official have surfaced from Viman Nagar, with complainants seeking registration of an FIR against an area engineer and other unidentified personnel.
According to a joint complaint filed with Vimantal Police Station, a team allegedly led by PMC Area Engineer Ashutosh Kharge carried out a demolition action at Caffe & Te, which is located in a multi-storey commercial complex near Phoenix Mall in Viman Nagar on April 21 around 12:30 pm, during peak business hours. The building houses several establishments, including a technology services company, a nationalised bank branch and an interior design firm.
Complainants have alleged that the action was undertaken without prior notice to the building owner or occupants and without the production of any demolition order, show-cause notice or authorisation under applicable laws. They further claimed that when representatives at the site demanded written authorisation, the official and his team left the premises without providing documents or clarification.
Preliminary estimates put the damage to the property between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, according to the complaint.
The complainants have cited the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling in “In Re: Directions in the Matter of Demolition of Structures,” which mandates a minimum 15-day prior written notice, a reasoned order by a competent authority and an opportunity for hearing before any demolition action. They have alleged that none of these requirements were followed.
They have also pointed to provisions under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, 1949, and the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, which require due process, including notice and hearing, before demolition or removal actions are carried out.
The complaint further states that an application had already been submitted by one of the occupants to change the usage of a portion of the premises for a staff canteen.
A criminal complaint has been filed seeking action under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 125 (endangering life or personal safety), Section 198 (public servant disobeying law with intent to cause injury) and Section 324(5) (mischief causing damage exceeding Rs 1 lakh).
The complainants have also requested preservation of CCTV footage from the premises and surrounding areas between 11 am and 3 pm on April 21, along with PMC deployment records, duty rosters and vehicle movement logs.
They have stated that if an FIR is not registered within a reasonable time, they will approach the jurisdictional magistrate under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Raising questions over the action, the complainants have asked under whose directions the operation was conducted and on what basis, claiming that no prior communication or notice was received from the civic body. They have also alleged selective enforcement, pointing out that nearby unauthorised hawker stalls were not acted upon.
PMC officials had not issued an official response at the time of filing this report.
