CM Fadnavis told to keep an eye on collector’s ‘arbitrary actions’

Mumbai: Repeated complaints by petitioners against the alleged high-handedness and arbitrary actions taken by the Mumbai district collector, Ashwini Joshi, has prompted the Bombay high court to direct chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to oversee her actions.

The HC termed the actions Ms Joshi of sealing and attaching the entire building to recover dues of laid off employees of Cambata Aviation as arbitrary and in violation of court directions.

The HC asked the principal secretary of the state to explain whether the actions by the collector were taken at the behest of the state or was she doing it herself. The HC also stayed the hearing on the showcause notice issued by the collector to the trust and other commercial entities in the building.

A division bench of Justices V.M. Kanade and P.R. Bora was hearing the writ petition filed by Cambata Trust seeking relief against the alleged high-handedness and arbitrary actions of the collector by issuing a showcause notice, sealing and attaching the entire trust building at Churchgate.

The trust building houses Eros Theatre and 24 other commercial premises that claimed were unnecessarily harassed by the actions of the Collector.  

After hearing the petitioners, Justice Kanade expressed displeasure in the working of the collector and said her arbitrary actions were not acceptable.