Mumbai, Oct 9 (NIE): The Bombay High Court on Monday issued notices against a BJP corporator from Andheri (East) and seven of his supporters asking why criminal and civil action should not be initiated against them for allegedly assaulting and threatening to kill a municipal official who was taking action based on a complaint against unauthorised hoardings.

A division bench of Justice A S Oka and Justice M S Sonak was hearing a contempt petition filed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking action against Muraji Patel, the BJP corporator, and his supporters for intentionally obstructing the civic body’s work.

The bench, in an earlier hearing, had told the counsel appearing for Patel: “The minimum we expect is that this will not happen again.” The court said the corporators should educate the voters and make people aware about not defacing the city with illegal hoardings.

The contempt petition said officers of K/East and Andheri (East) wards had got a complaint on their website on January 30 and 31 this year regarding an illegal hoarding erected on the municipal playground and on the footpath by Jivanjoti Foundation, which is run and managed by the corporator.

The contempt petition stated that corporator Muraji Patel belongs to the BJP. The officers of K/East ward, Uttam Surwade, Sitaram Shelke and Sandeep Keni, visited the site and found illegal hoardings and banners. The petition alleged that as they started removing the banners, Patel’s supporters reached the site and started threatening, abusing and assaulting Surwade and the staff and stopped them from removing the hoardings. The petition added that Patel’s supporters also threatened to kill the BMC officials and assaulted them. They were injured and admitted to a hospital.

Later, the BMC officials got an FIR filed against seven men who were Patel’s supporters. The petition said the BMC officials were taking action against illegal hoarding, as there are clear orders of the Bombay High Court regarding it. “The workers and the supporters of the corporator belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party obstructed the public officer from doing their public duty. Therefore, the act of respondents is absolute violation and contempt of the order passed by this hon’ble court,” the petition said.

Patel and the seven others have been asked to file an affidavit in three weeks.

Patel told The Indian Express: “I had all the required permission for the hoarding and I will present it before the court.”