Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation on Wednesday carried out demolition of alleged illegal constructions at the residence, office and other properties of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) corporator Matin Patel, who has been booked for allegedly harbouring Nashik TCS accused Nida Khan, officials said.
Nida Khan was arrested on May 7 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra. Police have alleged that Patel provided her shelter after her arrest in connection with serious criminal charges.
On May 9, the municipal corporation issued a notice to Patel over alleged illegal constructions in the Naregaon area, directing him to respond within 72 hours. The notice stated that failure to reply would allow the civic body to decide the fate of the structures.
Patel subsequently moved court seeking a stay on the demolition, but no relief was granted.
On Wednesday morning, civic officials, under police protection, demolished structures at Patel’s house, office and several shops. Mayor Sameer Rajurkar confirmed the action.
The move came after a sequence of developments, including a visit late Tuesday night by former AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel to Patel’s family in Naregaon, where he criticised the civic body’s “haste”.
“We sought a week from the court, but the municipal corporation is in a hurry to demolish the constructions. It is a crucial time for all of us, but after demolition, we will build a house for Matin and his family that the country will see,” Jaleel said while addressing supporters.
Earlier, Mayor Rajurkar had said the process of reviewing Patel’s corporatorship would proceed after verification of property-related documents. He also stated that if Patel was found guilty of illegalities, his civic membership could be cancelled under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, which mandates disclosure of all information during nomination.
Nida Khan is accused in a case related to alleged religious conversion and sexual harassment of women colleagues at a Nashik unit of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Patel has been named as an accused for allegedly providing her refuge.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Nashik police is investigating nine cases of molestation and harassment at the IT company’s Nashik unit. Tata Consultancy Services has stated it follows a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and has suspended employees accused in the case.
With PTI inputs