‘We will send her to jail’: SC freezes BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide’s salary over encroachments

New Delhi: BMC Commissioner Ashwini Satish Bhide is facing contempt proceedings after the Supreme Court on Tuesday took a stern view of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) failure to clear encroachments from land reserved for a BEST bus stand in Mumbai.

Warning that Bhide could be sent to jail for non-compliance with its earlier orders, the apex court also rejected her request for more time, imposed costs of Rs 5 lakh and directed that salary payments to her and her staff be withheld until the contempt notice is decided.

Taking a stern view of the civic body's continued failure to remove illegal occupations from land reserved for a BEST bus stand, the Supreme Court on Tuesday initiated contempt proceedings against the BMC commissioner.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, issued a show-cause notice asking the commissioner to explain why the court should not take contempt action against him for disregarding its directions.

The court was unimpressed by the commissioner's request for additional time to comply with its earlier order.

Rejecting the plea, the bench imposed costs of Rs 5 lakh and directed that salary payments to the commissioner and his staff be withheld until the contempt notice is decided.

The hearing also saw sharp observations from the Chief Justice, who questioned whether municipal officials were deliberately allowing the illegal occupation of the land to continue.

‘Does it not show that your officers are colluding? We will send him to jail and then he will understand the sanctity of the Supreme Court order. Is he obliging us?’ Bar & Bench quoted CJI Surya Kant as saying this.

The remarks reflected the bench's displeasure over the civic administration's failure to act despite previous judicial directions.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi, meanwhile, made it clear that the BMC could not continue seeking extensions or further relief without first complying with the court's existing order.

‘Follow the order and after complying with the order, file an application for appropriate steps. But as of now, there is contempt,’ he said.

The proceedings mark a sharp escalation in the Supreme Court's response to the BMC's failure to remove encroachments from land earmarked for a BEST bus stand.