BMC Demolishes Illegal Alterations in 128 Flats at Rustomjee Crown in Prabhadevi

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday initiated a major crackdown on 128 apartments at the Rustomjee Crown housing complex in Prabhadevi, razing unauthorized alterations that encroached upon common and utility areas.

The enforcement action targeted flats spread across two 63-storey towers in the luxury residential development. Rustomjee Crown is a housing complex comprising three towers built on the premises of the erstwhile Crown Mills in the Prabhadevi area.

Civic personnel were deployed to the premises to demolish internal constructions after investigations revealed that apartment owners had illegally incorporated shared building areas into their private residences. The unauthorized modifications included the absorption of common lobby areas, open spaces situated near elevators, and utility duct spaces into individual flats.

Of the three towers situated in the Rustomjee Crown complex, two have been granted an occupancy certificate. These two occupied towers currently serve as residences for several high-profile individuals, including politicians, media house executives, and leaders of multinational corporations.

The civic body stepped in after receiving a formal complaint regarding the illegal structural changes from Mumbai-based Right to Information (RTI) activist Santosh Daundkar, who flagged the widespread alterations within the complex.