Bombay HC Orders Repairs for 129-Year-Old Fort Building Housing Jimmy Boy Restaurant
The Bombay High Court has ordered structural repairs for the 129-year-old building housing the iconic Jimmy Boy Parsi restaurant in the Fort area of South Mumbai, ruling against its demolition by civic authorities. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice R.V. Ghuge and Justice Gautam Akhand directed the occupants of the Vikas Premises Co-operative Housing Society Limited building to vacate the premises at the earliest before repair work begins.
According to the court's order, the repairs must be carried out under strict supervision and in full compliance with the law and recommendations outlined in an IIT Bombay technical report dated March 5. The bench permitted the housing society to proceed with the necessary structural strengthening after observing that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had failed to dispute the IIT Bombay report or its recommendation against demolishing the structure.
The building had been under scrutiny after the BMC sought to demolish the structure in June 2025. Advocating for the housing society, its legal representative pointed out that the IIT Bombay report did not categorize any portion of the 129-year-old building as C-1, which applies to dilapidated structures requiring immediate demolition. The report categorized the structure partly as C-2A and partly as C-2B, confirming that certain portions require substantial repairs and that the building can be safely occupied once those repairs are completed.
Opposing the relief sought by the society, BMC advocate Dhrupad Patil argued that undertaking repairs on a 129-year-old structure would only extend its operational life by around 15 years. The civic body urged that redevelopment should be considered instead, warning that temporary repairs could pose a potential risk to life and property.
However, the High Court rejected the civic body's contentions, observing that the decision of whether to repair or redevelop lies with the society and its members. The court directed the BMC to grant the required permissions expeditiously and instructed the civic body not to obstruct the repair work.
