Where were the authorities when these illegal buildings in Thane were being constructed, ask residents after SC closes last door on their bid to save homes

Thane: Mumbra resident Mohd Irfan Ansari never imagined that buying his dream home — by investing savings and mortgaging ancestral jewellery — would leave him homeless within a year. Ansari is one of hundreds of residents who purchased homes in one of the clusters of buildings declared illegal behind the Khan Compound area in Shil, along the Mumbra-Diva fringe.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a Bombay high court order to demolish the illegal buildings.

As families packed to relocate, emotions ran high. "Where were the authorities when these buildings were being constructed? Officials who allowed this must be held accountable," said Abdur Rehman, criticising the lack of political response.

A visit to the area in the evening revealed that some buildings were already demolished, while others awaited their turn. Ansari, a resident of the Madina Complex, expressed disbelief. "We moved here for a better life. We had power connections, which gave us no reason to suspect anything was illegal," he said.

Buyers were lured by affordable prices and grand facades, despite poor infrastructure and the area's remote location — nearly a kilometre from the Mumbra-Panvel highway. The locality lacks proper roads, streetlights, and even an official name, relying instead on neighbouring areas for identification.

Firoz Khan, who relocated from Mumbai, lost his two shops and a 1-BHK flat in the demolition. "I trusted the documents shown to us. Many of my relatives bought flats here. Now everything's gone, and we still hope the courts might offer relief," he said.

Sakina Khan, also of Madina Complex, said, "We sold our farmland in UP for a better life in Mumbai. Now it's all in ruins." With power snapped since last week, some residents rely on generators. Nearby, Mohd Zainul Abdi cared for an elderly heart patient amid the ongoing chaos.

The demolition drive is scheduled to continue under the direction of the Thane Municipal Corporation, as per high court orders. However, commissioner Saurabh Rao did not comment on the next steps.