Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 19: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday pulled up naval authorities, asking whether officials had been “sleeping” while a 23-storey high-rise building began construction near INS Shikra, the Indian Navy’s premier air station in south Mumbai.
The sharp remarks came during a hearing before a bench of Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Abhay Mantri on a petition filed by the Commanding Officer of INS Shikra. The Navy has sought to halt the project, citing significant security risks to the sensitive military installation.
“Were you sleeping all this time?” the court asked, questioning why construction — which the Navy said began in 2021 — had been allowed to proceed for several years before objections were raised.
Earlier this week, the High Court had temporarily stayed construction activity in view of urgent security concerns ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city.
On Wednesday, advocate R V Govilkar, appearing for the Navy, informed the bench that construction up to 53.07 metres had been permitted in the area under existing regulations. The court observed that while it was mindful of the security concerns raised, it could consider passing an interim order allowing construction up to the permissible height.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on Friday.