SC issues contempt notice to BMC Commissioner:Court orders withholding of one month’s salary; warns officials could be jailed

The Supreme Court on Tuesday initiated contempt of court proceedings against the municipal commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for failing to comply with its earlier directions to remove encroachments from land earmarked for a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus stand. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered that payment of one month’s salary to the BMC commissioner and his staff be withheld. It also dismissed a petition seeking additional time and imposed costs of ₹5 lakh. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Suryakant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana issued a show-cause notice to the BMC commissioner, saying that his officials would be sent to jail. Questions raised over the BMC officials’ intentions: 5 major arguments… Court bristles at argument over translating Marathi documents During the hearing, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) argued that local authorities needed to have Marathi documents translated into English before taking action to remove the encroachment. The Supreme Court expressed strong displeasure at this. Justice Bagchi asked whether the officer who had filed the affidavit was Dr Tambe and whether the court was to assume that he did not know Marathi. Case concerns removal of encroachment from bus station land The dispute concerns land belonging to a public BEST bus station in Borivali, Mumbai. The BMC and a private developer have been involved in a legal dispute over the land for several years. On 13 August 2025, the Supreme Court directed the private developer to hand over vacant and peaceful possession of the plot, including the administrative building, to the BMC. The court had given the BMC three months. During this period, the BMC was required to take possession of the land, remove the remaining encroachments in accordance with the law and make the bus station fully operational. However, the Supreme Court expressed serious displeasure after the encroachments had not been removed from the land by 13 November 2025. The court directed the BMC commissioner to file a personal affidavit.