Illegal dargah in Aarey razed amid tight security

Mumbai: An illegal dargah inside Aarey Colony was demolished by the administration on Tuesday amid tight police bandobast. Police officials said there was no law and order situation. Police shut internal roads in Aarey Colony to prevent any mob from gathering.

DCP Gajanan Rajmane (zone 12) told reporters that a trust built the dargah without the necessary permissions. “As it was an encroachment, notices were sent to the trust to take down the structure. Sufficient time was provided to them, but it was not pulled down. The administration then asked us for sufficient police bandobast, which was provided, to pull it down.”

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said he had lodged a complaint against the illegal structure almost a year ago. Aarey Colony security officer Vijay Wagh had alleged in his complaint in Jan this year that electricity had been illegally used at the dargah for the last 10 years. He said over 77,000 units amounting to Rs 31 lakh had been drawn illegally from the electricity box near unit 32 in Aarey Colony.