BMC razes 7 unauthorised structures near Sara-Sahara

MUMBAI: The municipal authority demolished seven unauthorised structures that some in the BMC claimed were funded by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. These structures stood in the Moonim Compound, where the Sara-Sahara shopping complexes are located.

Ironically, the Sara-Sahara complexes, which have become famous symbols of the underworld-government connivance, will still stand. The municipal records show them as authorised, said municipal commissioner Johny Joseph.

The land on which Sara-Sahara stand, had been leased from the Central Public Works Department before the city’s development plan was drawn in the Sixties. They are “tolerated” structures.

Over the years, under the pretext of repair permissions, the Sara-Sahara shopping centres turned into plush modern structures. The seven structures demolished on Saturday stood right next to the two infamous shopping centres, and were wholly unauthorised.

Early Saturday morning, a swarm of grey trucks and yellow JCB machines tore down
these squat buildings into a heap of rusty metal and brick-cement debris. In all, 301 shops were demolished.

There were no protests or violence from the shopkeepers, who had been served eviction notices before. There were over 400 men in khaki, both police and the municipal securitymen, girdling the area.

Though there was no violence, there was resentment. The affected shopkeepers blamed the BMC for allowing the structures to come up.

Mansoor Umar Darvesh, who said his sister’s stall selling mobile accessories was among those demolished, claimed that his sister never knew that the stall was located in an unauthorised building when she bought it.

There had been, Umar recalled, an agreement on paper and besides, the building had water and power connections.

Sanjay Jain, whose shop of mobile phones was demolished, admitted that he had no written agreement with the landlord. “This market ran on trust. There were
no (written) agreements,” he told DNA.

Local residents said that they were happy with the exercise. “We will at last get some sunlight in our houses now that the structures have been razed,” said local resident Anat Mohammad.

The Sahara shopping centre houses 58 unauthorised shops. But there is a court order protecting the structures from the hammer.

The shopkeepers concerned have filed two separate writ petitions in Bombay High Court, which on December 16, 2003 ordered a stay on demolition, said Joseph.

Both Sahara and Sara have other irregularities, but none severe enough to invite demolition.

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