–Yatharth Sikka
Kangana Ranaut strongly reacted as the Bombay High Court quashed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on her Mumbai property illegal demolition on Friday.
A division bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and R I Chagla noted that the action undertaken by the civic body leaves hardly “any manner of doubt” that it was unauthorised. The bench said that the action was initiated after Kangana compared Mumbai with Pakistan occupied Kashmir. In this regard, the court said irresponsible statements made by an individual should be ignored, howsoever distasteful those may be, and no action can be taken against such individual by resorting to the colourable exercise of power and causing injury to that individual or his property by the State or any of its instrumentalities.
The court added, “Whatever be her statements, no action can lie except within four corners of the law. The manner in which action was carried out leaves hardly any doubt that it was against the law and was ‘sinister’ to prevent the petitioner from taking legal recourse for the preventive action. BMC has done it with deliberate disregard to the rights of the citizens.”
The High Court said that all these things were done to threaten Kangana and BMC’s intention was malice. The notice was given and the sabotage done was actually to threaten Kangana.
The High Court further noted that after analysing the Saamana articles and news channel clips of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, shows it was all to threaten Kangana Ranaut.
Kangana said it as a victory of democracy and thanked her supporters and detractors.
“When individual stands against the government and wins, it’s not the victory of the individual, but it’s the victory of the democracy. Thank you everyone who gave me courage and thanks to those who laughed at my broken dreams. Its only cause you play a villain so I can be a HERO,” Kangana tweeted.
Hours after the Bombay High Court quashed the demolition notices sent by the BMC and deemed their action against Kangana Ranaut as carried out with malice, Shiv Sena leader and Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar attacked against her again by calling her a worthless individual and accusing her of using court’s arena for political rivalry.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said, “Everyone is surprised that one naughty (a word for h….. as coined by Sanjay Raut) who lives in Himachal Pradesh, comes here and calls Mumbai as PoK ‘do takke ke log’ (two rupees people) want to make Courts arena for political rivalry, it’s wrong that such worthless individuals want to turn the judicial courts into a political battlefield.”
Kangana Ranaut had sought Rs 2 crore in damages from the BMC and urged the court to declare BMC’s action illegal. On the issue of compensation, the bench said a valuer who would hear the petitioner and the BMC on monetary damages caused to her due to the demolition will manage all this.
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