Mumbai, January 25: Nirav Modi's posh and sprawling Alibaug bungalow will be demolished this weekend by the Raigad authorities, according to reports. The fugitive businessman and main accused in the 14,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, Nirav Modi, has a huge mansion in Kihim, Alibaug. Maharashtra Government Issues Order for Demolition of Nirav Modi’s Illegal Bungalow in Alibaug.

The Bombay High Court had directed last year that the Alibaug bungalow of Nirav Modi be demolished. The posh bungalow in Alibaug will be demolished this week, following the Bombay High Court order.

Reports said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized all the important valuables from the bungalow and what remains to be razed now is the huge mansion.

The Bombay High Court had pulled up the Raigad Collector in August, 2018, for not taking any action in connection with allegations regarding illegal construction of a bungalow near Raigad belonging to fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi.

The bungalow in question is in Alibaug in Raigad district, about 100 kilometres from Mumbai.

A bench of Justices AS Oka and RI Chagla had also questioned the basis on which the collector and the local sub-divisional officer (SDO) had decided to close the files, and thus not initiate any proceedings, including demolition, of Modi’s bungalow.

The high court was hearing a petition filed by activist Surendra Dhavale seeking that the court direct the authorities to demolish all unauthorised construction “within the low and high tide areas” in a bunch of villages in Alibaug.

As per the petition, such construction was carried out in violation of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority rules and the land laws of the state.

There are around 175 such private residences in CRZ areas in villages such as Varsoli, Sasvane, Kolgaon and Dokvade, among others, in Alibaug taluka, belonging to several “wealthy persons, including Nirav Modi, and several businessmen and film actors”, the PIL claimed. The Nirav Modi bungalow that will now be demolished is one among the illegal structures that will be taken down by the Raigad municipal authority, said reports.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 25, 2019 03:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).