A day after SC moves to freeze salaries, BMC clears encroachments on land earmarked for BEST bus stand

View of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in Mumbai. Photo: Wikipedia

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday (Nov 4, 2026) informed the Supreme Court in an urgent oral notice that it had “erased” the structures encroaching on the land reserved for the BEST (Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking) bus stand in Mumbai.

The mention was made before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant within 24 hours after the apex court said it would freeze the payment of salaries to the BMC commissioner and other officials concerned. The court decision has not yet been published.

The court accused the BMC of failing to comply with its earlier orders to remove encroachments and make way for a public interest project.

The morning of November 4 saw the bulldozers of BMC Corporation set off on a demolition drive.

“The orders have been complied with. They have been implemented. All the affected structures have been cleared,” counsel for the BMC Bench informed as soon as the judges convened in the court after the lunch break.

A hearing on the contempt petition on November 3 saw the apex court slam the corporation for seeking more time to evict residents. The bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, even expressed suspicions about collusion between the officials and the attackers.

The court noted that the delay in clearing the land despite the court order amounted to “willful, malicious trespass”.

Published – November 4, 2026 1:19 PM IST