Ready to raze Poonam Towers in two months, Kumar tells HC

Nagpur: The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions filed by the owner of Poonam Towers and Poonam Chambers N Kumar challenging Nagpur Municipal Corporation's demolition action and direction for demolition of illegal constructions in the two structures.Petitioner Vijay Babhre, businessman Vinod Duseja and others, filed a separate petition against the NMC's show cause notice issued on Jan 30, 2026 asking vacation of shops built on illegal construction in Poonam Chambers. The court dismissed petitions challenging the NMC's notices dated Jan 13 and Jan 30, 2026, which ordered removal of illegal construction and vacation of shops. While upholding the civic body's action, the bench agreed to grant limited time to shop owners in Poonam Chambers to vacate the premises. The court clarified that detailed reasons for dismissal of the petitions would be set out in the written judgment, which is expected shortly.
Kumar, who argued his case in person, told a division bench of Justices Anil Pansare and Nivedita Mehta, that he was willing to demolish Poonam Towers on his own, but sought to impose a condition that his new revised plan for the site should be approved first. The court reprimanded him making it clear that judicial proceedings do not function on his terms. The court recorded that Kumar was ready to demolish the building and would demolish it within two months.Advocate general Milind Sathe appeared for the state, advocate Gemini Kasat for NMC, while advocates Shyam Dewani and Sahil Dewani represented the shop owners.AG Sathe presented the govt's side and said that if legal procedure had been followed, the construction could have been regularised, but since the case did not meet the criteria, the work could not be regularised. Kumar claimed in the last hearing that he had all the documents and repeated his claim on Tuesday. The court repeatedly asked him to show the approved plan of the building for it to accept his statement. Recording the oral observation that he had not submitted even one official document, the court dismissed his claim.In the Poonam Chambers case, Kumar argued, "Will you come one day and demolish a 35-year-old building? I will be ruined, the NMC doesn't listen to me, if you also won't listen, should I commit suicide?" The court expressed strong displeasure and admonished, "Don't make such arguments in court." The court further noted that Kumar, after repeatedly pleading before the bench, also agreed to remove illegal construction in Poonam Chambers. He was directed to submit a written undertaking to this effect by 4.30pm on Tuesday.