Dombivli :-In a landmark decision with far-reaching implications, the Maharashtra High Court has ordered the demolition of 65 unauthorized residential buildings in Dombivli, situated within the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) limits. The court’s ruling comes in the wake of an extensive investigation that uncovered a web of forged documents and counterfeit RERA certificates used to erect these structures—leaving more than 6,500 residents on the brink of displacement.
The court firmly rejected pleas for interim relief from affected residents, including those living in the Sai Galaxy complex. While many claimed ignorance of the buildings’ illegal status, the court maintained that the structures were in clear violation of planning and regulatory norms. The ruling sets a strong precedent for accountability, not just for builders, but also for the municipal machinery that failed to detect—or worse, actively ignored—the violations.
Investigations revealed that even after the court proceedings began, builders extracted an estimated ₹1.5 crore from flat owners, falsely promising legal aid for future appeals. This deepened suspicions of an organized racket, prompting the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also stepped in to probe the alleged financial fraud and money laundering connected to the scandal.
Compounding the tragedy, many residents had availed government housing benefits under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana and secured bank loans—based on documents that appeared legitimate but were later found to be falsified. With the final verdict now in place, KDMC has already begun issuing evacuation notices. Demolition work is expected to commence in the coming days, with bulldozers ready to roll in.
The ruling has triggered widespread concern over the loopholes in India’s urban regulatory systems and the apparent ease with which forged approvals continue to escape detection. It has left hundreds of middle-class families in turmoil, raising pressing questions about state intervention, rehabilitation plans, and long-term safeguards to prevent similar crises.
