BMC asks cops to probe encroachments at sports club in Kandivali

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has granted prosecution sanction to the police to proceed with an investigation into an FIR concerning alleged encroachments by the Kamla Vihar Sports Club in Kandivali West.

- Sabah Virani

MUMBAI:

The club, whose trustee is former Member of Parliament Gopal Shetty, is situated on a BMC plot designated as a recreational ground. The FIR, registered on January 15 following a complaint from a BMC officer in the R South ward, alleges that the club has made multiple unauthorised alterations and converted parts of the premises for commercial use.

The controversy was first flagged by activist Reji Abraham in 2023, when he observed structural modifications, including the opening of a new restaurant on the premises.

"The club has occupied this 2.5-acre plot since 1999, where only 15% construction is permissible. It had already exceeded this limit and, in 2023, further expanded commercial operations by opening a restaurant and making structural changes. As a result, citizens are deprived of access to public recreational spaces while the club continues to charge for lifetime memberships, the use of the cricket turf, banquets, and restaurant facilities," said Abraham.